The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is emphasizing the crucial responsibility of drivers in ensuring the safety of students on the roads during their travels, particularly as learners begin their journeys home for the April holiday.
Issuing a statement on the X platform last Friday, NTSA outlined five essential conditions that school transport vehicles must fulfill before transporting students back to their homes.
“During this period as our children head home for the holidays, it’s imperative to note that school transport, like all Public Service Vehicles, must possess a valid Road Service License (RSL),” emphasized NTSA in its statement.
In addition to the RSL, NTSA stipulated that school transport must possess a valid inspection certificate and be equipped with a functional speed limiter. Furthermore, the designated driver must hold the appropriate Driver’s License class endorsement and a valid PSV badge.
“We call upon all educational institutions to ensure strict adherence to traffic regulations and standards. Let us collectively prioritize the safe transportation of our children,” urged NTSA.
These directives from NTSA are prompted by recent unfortunate incidents of accidents involving school buses. One such incident occurred at Moi University, where 12 students sustained minor injuries following an accident along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway near Kimende town in the Lari subcounty. The bus, carrying third and fourth-year Kiswahili students on an academic trip to Mombasa, veered off the road under unclear circumstances, landing in a ditch.
Similarly, Kenyatta University mourned the loss of 11 students in another accident along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway. This tragedy unfolded at Maungu, Voi, Taita Taveta county, along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway. The students were part of a larger group of 58 individuals en route to Mombasa for an academic excursion when their school bus collided with a trailer.
These incidents underscore the critical importance of stringent adherence to safety regulations and guidelines, particularly concerning school transportation, to mitigate the risks of such devastating accidents on our roads.
