NTSA to review guidelines for school bus, commercial vehicle operators » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 4 — The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has set out to develop a revised regulatory framework for school transport and heavy commercial transport operators.
Speaking during an engagement with stakeholders in the transport industry on Thursday, NTSA Director General George Njao said the review of existing regulations last updated in 2017 has been necessitated by growing concern over increasing numbers of road accidents involving school transport and heavy commercial vehicles.
“We will start public participation across the country on April 15 and this process aims to gather insight and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders, including transport operators, parents, regulatory bodies and the general public,” he said.
Key issues identified for revision within the regulatory framework for school transport operators include the conduct of crew members in buses ferrying school children, standardization of vehicle colors, presence of minders for students during transportation, and specification for times of operation.
For heavy commercial vehicles, NTSA will include collaborations with other regulatory bodies, such as the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), to address safety concerns related to accidents resulting from fuel tankers and vehicles transporting hazardous goods.
Data by NTSA reported a 7 per cent spike in fatalities resulting from road accidents with 1,026 people killed in road accidents across the country from January to March 20, 2024.
The number of fatalities during a similar period in 2023 stood at 959.
A total of 384 pedestrians, 77 drivers, 225 passengers, 16 pedal cyclists, 242 motorcyclists, and 82 pillion passengers lost their lives in road accidents between January 1 and March 20, 2023.
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