Members of Parliament have raised fresh concerns over the National Transport and Safety Authority’s (NTSA) instant traffic fines system, particularly the practice of attaching penalties to vehicle logbooks instead of the drivers responsible for traffic offences.
During proceedings in the National Assembly on July 2, lawmakers argued that the current approach places an unfair burden on vehicle owners, even in situations where they were not behind the wheel when the offence was committed.
They said the system may fail to achieve its intended goal of promoting responsible driving and improving accountability on Kenyan roads.
Molo MP Kuria Kimani led the criticism, saying that linking fines to vehicle logbooks does little to discourage reckless drivers.
According to him, penalties should be attached to the driving licences of offenders rather than the ownership records of vehicles.
Kimani told Parliament that accountability for traffic violations should rest with the individual who commits the offence.
He argued that when fines are attached to a vehicle’s logbook, the owner may end up suffering the consequences of another person’s actions.He pointed to situations involving commercial vehicles and ride-hailing services, where vehicle owners often employ drivers to operate their cars.
In such cases, he noted, a driver could repeatedly break traffic rules while the vehicle owner bears the financial burden because the penalties are linked to the logbook.
The legislator gave an example of an owner with several vehicles operating as Uber taxis.
If drivers of those vehicles are fined for dangerous driving, the penalties would be attached to the vehicles’ records rather than the individual drivers responsible for the offences.
He said this arrangement does not effectively discourage bad driving habits.
Kimani also highlighted concerns involving vehicles acquired through financing arrangements.
He explained that many vehicles are registered under joint ownership between borrowers and financial institutions such as banks.
In such cases, fines attached to a logbook could affect lenders who had no involvement in the traffic violation.
According to the MP, this could create unnecessary financial and administrative challenges for banks and other lenders, including institutions that finance motorcycles and other vehicles.
The concerns come as NTSA’s instant traffic fines system continues to attract public attention.
The framework links traffic violations to a vehicle’s digital records through the eCitizen platform and the Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS).
With growing debate around the system, MPs are now pushing for a review that would ensure penalties are directed at offending drivers rather than registered vehicle owners.
Lawmakers say such a move would strengthen accountability while ensuring fairness in the enforcement of traffic laws.
