Drivers in Eldoret City have a new task in learning how to use traffic lights which are being installed by the Uasin Gishu county government at road junctions within the CBD.
The return of traffic lights comes after almost 30 years.
At the time, Eldoret municipality mayor Josiah Magut, who installed the lights, was forced to have them switched off on the same day, after a series of accidents were reported at the junctions.
It was said that drivers failed to properly interpret and use the lights, as some thought the red lights spelt danger.
They would rush past the red light in a bid to move away from the “impeding danger”, only to cause accidents.
Governor Jonathan Bii said being a city, Eldoret should have such installations to help manage traffic.
“Keeping our city in check! Traffic lights installation underway,” he posted on social media a week ago.
The lights are being installed mainly at junctions along the main Uganda Highway, which crosses through the city. He said traffic jams in the city have become a common occurrence.
Police estimate that the city has more than 300,000 vehicles using the roads daily, to add on 5,000 boda bodas and a population of about 700,000.
“We now have a vibrant city with both day and night life and it’s important that our people begin to get used to the traffic lights and learn how to use them even before we commission the same,” Bii said.
The governor is also targeting improvement of infrastructure through construction of several roads that will open up traffic flow and enhance trade in the region.
There were mixed reactions as
some drivers asked to be trained
on use of the lights, while others
expressed proficiency.
