Parents have urged the national government to investigate the drivers of all public schools, including primary, secondary and universities, to ensure that they are qualified in accordance with the country’s traffic laws.
Speaking to press yesterday, parents said the increase in road accidents continues to cause panic in the country.
‘‘We want to know if these drivers driving students countrywide if are qualified or not’’ said Mr. Silas Obuhatsa one of the parents.
He continue said that many parents are still worried till now as drivers transport students back home for second term with various competitions.
Parents asked the Minister of Education Mr. Ezekiel Machogu and his Transport Counterpart Mr. Kipchumba Murkomen to cooperate to ensure the safety of students while using public vehicle.
‘‘The previous government had put in place ambitious road safety strategies, including banning vehicles of educational institutions from traveling at night to reduce road accidents’’ they said.
Mr. Obuhatsa, added that there is need for the two department of education and transport to create a special task force to investigate road accidents involved public education vehicles.
Obuhatsa note that since January this year, many accidents occurred caused misfortune of many students.
On March 18, 11 Kenyatta University Students died in an accident in Maungu, Voi,Taita County on the Mombasa to Nairobi highway while 46 others were injured.
The students were heading to Mombasa for a school trip before their bus collided with a truck.
On April 1, a student of Chakavali High School died while 32 others were injured after the bus they were traveling in overturned on the kakamega highway towards Kisumu.
On February 24, three Maadili junior primary school students died and others survived with injuries after the bus they were traveling in was involved in an accident on the Gitugi road towards Murang’a.
The association in collaboration with parents made several recommendations to the two departments that will help to set solid strategies to reduce road accidents in the country.
‘‘First, all drivers should be determine if they are qualified according to traffic laws in the country. They should be undergo a health check and have their age assessed especially school drivers.
Obuhatsa insist that vehicles transporting students should be equipped with speed controls.
‘‘Parents have pain of losing their children arbitrarily and when school closed we want head teachers to be very careful with our children. Let’s avoid accident, let’s save lives,” he said.
He urged that traffic officers who do not wear police uniforms should be placed in several places to patrol, while public vehicles transporting students should have a nurse to help during emergencies.
