Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris voiced concern on Wednesday regarding the ongoing disregard shown by locals for pedestrian footbridges.
Passaris stressed the need to end the cultural practice of crossing roads without using designated footbridges.
Passaris brought attention to the concerning practice of people risking their lives by crossing just below footbridges.
The politician witnessed cases where the government put in rails to promote using footbridges, but some rebellious Kenyans even went as far as hopping over the rails.
She emphasized that footbridges are an investment made by the government to protect pedestrians who might otherwise be at risk of accidents with fast-moving vehicles.
“All Kenyans who cross the road underneath the footbridges should be arrested; if we arrest them and throw them in for one day, then hopefully they will learn,” she said.
Passaris also emphasized that, in addition to being safe, using footbridges promotes a healthy lifestyle by offering a calorie-burning exercise option.
She also cautioned that insurance companies would not pay damages to pedestrians hit by cars while they were crossing the street in an undesignated area.
