New rules set for boda bodas and PSV drivers

Boda boda riders and matatus will now find it hard to break traffic rules with impunity. The National Transport and Safety Authority has developed a curriculum for motorists. [PHOTO: file]

Drivers of public service vehicles and boda boda riders will now be subjected to new conditions before being allowed to operate.

If a proposed driving curriculum is adopted, riders will have to pass practical and written or oral examinations before being declared fit to operate.

They will also be required to demonstrate knowledge of motorcycle parts and controls before being deemed qualified to hold a licence.

According to the driving curriculum proposed by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the riders will be required to explain the importance of the motorcycle as a public transport system.

The riders will be required to know motorcycle crash rates, protective gear and how to use them, as well as correctly demonstrate how passengers and goods should be carried.

However, that is not good news to the riders. "How do you expect me to learn and grasp all parts of the motorcycle; even the owner of a house does not know every part of it. Let the mechanics do their job, for me it is business," said Thomas Kirui, a rider in Nairobi.

The agency also proposes new age limits for one to qualify as a driver of a PSV. It also wants the crew to undergo a public relations course.

NTSA wants the minimum age for a PSV driver capped at 22 years for the 14-seater.

The age limit rises to 25 for the 15-33-seater and a driving experience of three years for the 14-seater.

One will require to be at least 30 years old to be authorised to drive a 33-seater or a bigger PSV, with a four-year driving experience for a 15-33-seater.

Truck drivers must be at least 22 years with additional training and experience required to upgrade to higher-capacity goods' transport vehicles.

NTSA proposes units on customer care, which will see PSV motorists required to exhibit exemplary communication skills at their workplace.

A unit on defensive driving has also been proposed in a bid to ensure not only the safety of the passengers on board but also that of pedestrians.

These include determining safe distance, competitive driving and driving techniques against stationary and moving hazards.

"Drivers should also profess special driving abilities on special road conditions, which include foggy weather, falling rocks, slippery surface, roads under construction, meandering terrains, dusty roads and under the glaring sun," said NTSA Director General Francis Meja.