All PSV drivers to undergo re-testing amid road carnage

Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.[Denis Kibuchi, Standard]

All Public Service Vehicles (PSV) and heavy commercial vehicle drivers will now undergo mandatory re-testing, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has directed.

The drivers will also undergo medical testing, and only those proven to be medically fit will be issued with new licences, or allowed to drive.

At the same time, officers from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) will also return to the road, in a bid to ensure sanity.

"Having consulted with my Interior colleague, Kithure Kindiki, we are going to establish a mechanism where the previous directive to remove NTSA from enforcement and a collaborative regime between NTSA and NPS will be put in place," ordered Murkomen.

Seemingly, NTSA officers have also been directed to impound unroadworthy vehicles and cars not fitted with speed governors.

Those found culpable will face the law, the CS has said as the Ministry moves to curb road accidents owing to several that have been witnessed in the past week.

Murkomen also stated that they have finalized the drafting of the school transport rules that are aimed at better regulating and enhancing safety in the transportation of school children.

"The regulations will anchor the usage of vehicular telematics technology- a system that enables close monitoring of vehicle movements form a distance."

While condoling with families of those affected by the road carnage, the Cabinet Secretary also promised to implement the instant fine system as well as operationalization of the demerit point system.

"Driver profiling through the capturing of their driving history and installation of speed enforcement cameras on all major roads will help reduce the accident cases," Murkomen added.

Yesterday, 11 Kenyatta Univesity students died and more than 40 others sustained injuries after their bus collided head-on with a truck at Maungu in Taita Taveta.

There have been more than three other fatal accidents reported since Saturday, March 16.