The government has completed drafting a policy that will govern the use of school buses in the country, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced yesterday.
Murkomen stated that the policy mandates installing stop arms on school buses, a practice observed in other countries such as the United States of America.
“We have finalised the drafting of the School Transport Rules aimed at better regulating and enhancing safety in the transportation of our children.
“These regulations contain the provisions that will make it mandatory for those building school buses to include material and technology that will protect passengers in case of accidents,” the CS said.
Furthermore, school buses must have attendants to bolster the safety of children, particularly those transporting preschool and primary school students.
Moreover, CS Murkomen directed that school buses must be equipped with CCTV systems to enhance student safety.
The CS also outlined that all school vehicles will incorporate technology capable of tracking their movements on the roads.
Murkomen mentioned that the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is in the final stages of establishing the standards for these devices.
In his directive, Murkomen also unveiled new measures aimed at curbing the increasing cases of accidents in the country.
Among the measures he specified for implementation was the mandatory medical testing for all drivers in the country. Additionally, the retesting for all drivers and conductors of Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) will be reinstated.
