Fresh vetting of driving schools and PSV operators ordered
What you need to know:
- Authority lists safest and deadliest roads and hours of travel.
- Kenya is committed to reducing road fatalities by 50 per cent by 2020.
The National Transport and Safety Authority says driving schools and public service vehicle operators will be vetted afresh.
The authority said the vetting would be conducted by an inter-agency team this week.
The exercise, which will be carried out by NTSA, traffic police and Interior and Transport ministries, is intended to weed out schools operating unlawfully.
The vetting of PSV operators, according to NTSA Director-General Francis Meja, would ensure improved levels of compliance by matatu saccos and companies.
He said those that do not conform with the relevant laws and regulations would be deregistered.
MISINFORMATION
“The objective is to address the high rate of traffic crashes attributed to incompetency of drivers,” Mr Meja said.
Mr Meja added that that driving schools that do not submit a duly filled vetting form to be downloaded from the NTSA website would have their licences cancelled.
“All driving school branches are separate entities and must therefore complete the form in their individual capacities. The institutions will also be held responsible for any misinformation provided,” Mr Meja said.
CURRICULUM
Deregistration of such institutions was one of the measures the government announced in December in a bid to reduce road carnage.
Other measures included dualling of roads at black spots, retraining drivers, erection of speed humps, installation of road signs, marking of road surfaces and construction of footbridges.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i had also recommended an overhaul of the driving curriculum and a fresh registration of driving schools.
Further, a new generation e-licence will be issued to drivers in a phased programme that will prioritise PSV operators.
ORDERED OUT
Kenya is a signatory to the Decade of Action for Road Safety, which aims to raise awareness on road safety and address the high number of deaths and injuries due to road accidents, and has committed to reduce fatalities by 50 per cent by 2020. NTSA is vested with this responsibility.
In December, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered NTSA off the roads after a sharp increase in crashes, effectively handing over the traffic mandate to police.
One of the worst crashes last year took place at Migaa area on the Nakuru-Eldoret road, killing 38 people.
DEADLY HOUR
According to NTSA statistics, Sunday is the deadliest day for travellers on Kenyan roads while Monday is the safest.
The deadliest hour of travel is 9pm while the safest is 4am.
The Nairobi-Mombasa road was the deadliest in 2017, followed by the Nakuru-Eldoret and the Nairobi-Thika roads.
The Garissa-Mwingi and Meru-Nanyuki highways were the safest.
