A bus driver at the Country Bus Station. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD] |
By MWANIKI MUNUHE
Are you a driver? If yes, how old are you? This previously irrelevant question could become a game changer as the Government introduces a new law to govern the transport sector.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has proposed a raft of regulations that could be a major departure from traditional ways of managing transport in the country.
If the proposed regulations are adopted and gazetted, it will mean that you can no longer drive Public Service Vehicles (PSV’s) or heavy commercial vehicles after you hit 55 years old.
Similarly, all drivers of PSV’s, heavy commercial vehicles, including those carrying special substances like petroleum and gas, will undergo a special training away from other drivers and would be required to obtain special licences because of the nature of goods they handle.
These proposals by the National Transport and Safety Authority have already been forwarded to Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau for consideration and action.
Drivers of private vehicles who are above 65 years will also have to meet certain medical conditions every year for their driving licences to be considered for renewal. These, The Standard on Saturday established, are some of the steps the Government will be taking to transform the transport sector.
Speaking to The Standard on Saturday, NTSA Chairman Lee Kinyanjui confirmed his authority has already prepared the proposals and submitted the same to Mr Kamau for approval.
Once approved by the Secretary, the regulations will be taken to the office of the Attorney General Githu Muigai for gazettement.
Vision impaired
The law allows the Transport Secretary to come up with certain regulations as may be necessary to help the ministry achieve its mandate.
Mr Kinyanjui said it had become necessary to regulate who can hold what type of driving licence for a number of reasons.
“As you grow old your vision gets impaired, your capacity to hear clearly equally gets compromised. We therefore need to manage these changes in line with the function one is doing in the society.
For this reason, we have proposed that after one is 55 years of age, they must retire from driving public transport vehicles and other heavy commercial vehicles given the strenuous nature of that task,” he said.
“Similarly, we have also proposed that drivers of PSV’s and heavy commercial vehicle must undergo a special training from the rest. We do not want a situation where as long as you have held your driving license for three years you qualify to drive anything. For drivers of private vehicles, we have proposed that after you attain 65 years of age, it will become necessary for you to fulfill certain medical conditions every year before your licence is renewed. This is to basically confirm that you are medically fit to continue driving,” he said.
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There is a considerable number of drivers of PSVs and heavy commercial tracks who are 55 years of age and above.
Indeed, we sought to get the views of some of them in line with these proposals.
Mr Stanley Njoroge, a matatu driver said: “This is the only job I have done since I did my O-levels. It is where I have been able to get school fees for my children and to meet other family needs.
“Although I am 63, I still have a child in Form Three. If the Government decides that I can no longer continue to work in the matatu industry as a driver, then I do not know how I am going to pay schools fees neither do I know how to meet other family needs.
There is no guarantee that I can secure a job to be somebody’s driver anyway. I think the Government should look for other ways of dealing with road accidents without creating another problem that can become a bigger issue in future,” he said.
“I think this is a terrible approach in trying to fight road accidents if you ask me. First of all, there is no research that has been done by the government that indicates majority of road accidents involving PSV’s were caused by people who are 55 years and above. In fact, I believe the most experienced and careful drivers are those who have been in the road the longest time.
Minimise accidents
I have worked in the matatu industry as a driver for at least 32 years and I have never caused an accident neither have I ever been involved in one. What would be the logic in trying to get me out of my source of daily bread?”
“What the Government should have done is introduce certain medical tests that we should fulfill before renewing our licences because even somebody as young as 30 years might have eye sight problems that I may not have at 60 years of age,” said David Okwiri, a track driver.
The proposed regulations are expected to minimise the rising cases of road accidents.