Mombasa County’s Executive Committee Member for Transport, Infrastructure, and Governance, Daniel Manyala, has cautioned motorists against exploiting the “happy hour” traffic window to engage in dangerous driving practices.
Speaking to the press, Manyala said the county government is increasingly concerned by the surge in reckless behavior, especially from tuktuk and bodaboda operators, who speed behind the County Inspectorate vehicle once roads are temporarily cleared.
“We’ve noticed a trend where, immediately after our enforcement teams clear traffic, motorcyclists and tuktuks take advantage and speed dangerously to evade further checks,” he explained.
Manyala linked this conduct to a rise in road accidents within the city, highlighting the growing number of victims, particularly bodaboda riders, being treated at Coast General Hospital.
“There’s now a specific ward just for bodaboda crash victims. This is a clear indicator that things are getting out of hand,” he said.
He emphasized that such behavior not only endangers lives but also undermines the county’s efforts to improve road safety.
Going forward, the CEC warned that any vehicle—whether private, public, or even belonging to the government, military, or police—caught tailing the happy hour clearance convoy at high speed will face legal action for violating traffic regulations.
The Traffic Happy Hour System, introduced by the Mombasa County Government in 2019, was designed to ease congestion during peak hours by allowing free-flowing traffic along select routes. However, officials say some drivers are now exploiting the initiative.
