In a bid to ensure safe, reliable and efficient road transport services in Kenya, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has introduced a new raft of measures for drivers of public service vehicles, driving schools, and issuance of driving licenses.
In the new rules, PSV drivers will be required to undergo fresh training every three years which will comprise of both physical and mental tests.
The road safety reforms also include installation of new speed governors in PSVs that relay data in real-time and that can detect tampering.
The roads Authority will also introduce a new curriculum for training and testing of motor vehicle drivers and motorcycle riders.
Additionally, licenses of all driving schools will be revalidated following concerns that a majority of them offer substandard training.
Also set to change is the issuance of driving licenses; the government will now be rolling out merit-based smart licenses, where drivers are rated according to road offences committed.
Other regulations set to be effected include:
- Carrying out road safety audits in liaison with national road agencies to mitigate infrastructural deficiencies and cater to all road users.
- Establishment of county transport and safety committees to cater for county specific road safety needs
- Issuance of instant fines as per the traffic minor offences rules of 2016
- Introduction of new generation number plates that will restrain counterfeits and duplication.
- Annual vehicle emission testing for Public Service Vehicles and biennially for private vehicles over 5 years old
- Introduction of a revised vehicle body construction standard (KS372-2014) to streamline body structures of these vehicles.
- Mandatory annual motor vehicle inspection for all classes of vehicles above four years from date of manufacture.
The measures were announced at the National Public Transport Reforms Conference chaired by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.
“We have to accept that we have a problem and the only way to address this is by enforcing the new regulations. There are no two ways about this,” declared Matiang’i.
