All Public Service Vehicle (PSV) and commercial vehicle drivers will be subjected to mandatory driver retests upon the expiry of their licenses, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said.
This is part of efforts to address increasing road accidents.
Murkomen said the ministry is working collaboratively with other government agencies and stakeholders in the transport sector to put in place stringent measures that will enhance road safety and save lives.
Drivers’ retests
In his efforts, starting June 1, 2023, PSV and commercial vehicle drivers will undergo various retests to ensure they are eligible for their services.
It will be mandatory for drivers to undergo driver retest upon renewal of their licenses.
Section 105A (1) of the Traffic Act provides that a PSV or commercial vehicle driver shall after three years from the date of issuance of a driving license or renewal of the license undergo a physical fitness test, including eye and hearing tests by a qualified medical practitioner.
From July 1, they will be subjected to mandatory medical fitness tests by a qualified medical practitioner before the renewal of their driving licenses.
“Additionally, all driver trainees will be expected to provide a medical certificate before administration on the NTSA driver test,” Murkomen says.
The CS observed most of the crashes were caused by tyre busts, and brake failure while at high speed, while others were caused by crashing into vehicles mounted with substandard retroreflective strips thus affecting visibility on the road.
To address this, the CS directed NTSA to form a multi-agency enforcement team, bringing together the Anti-Counterfeit Authority, Kenya Bureau of Statistics, and the National Police Service, to weed out distributors and suppliers of substandard products and spare parts.
Murkomen also directed immediate enforcement on anti-rolling construction, installation of seatbelts, and proper anchorage of seats on all PSVs.
Long-distance PSVs are directed to subscribe to an accident and emergency system with immediate effect.
“In addition to this, the vehicles are required to prominently display the details of the subscription as public information and for passenger reference.”
NTSA is required to submit a list of non-compliant PSVs and commercial vehicles to the IRA for assessment of their policies within the next seven days.
Additionally, NTSA is directed to finalize system integrations between them and the insurance sector for real-time data sharing to assist in compliance and enforcement.
Further, the CS directed all motor vehicles with expired inspection certificates to be presented to the nearest NTSA center for a fresh assessment of their roadworthiness within a month.
The blackspots will be installed with cameras, with the first phase to be completed within four months, according to the ministry.