The government will soon launch a new technology to monitor drivers in efforts to reduce the number of road accidents in Kenya.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the government is fully committed to integrating cutting-edge technology to solve problems in the transport sector.
Speaking at OLC Mugoiri Girls High School in Muranga County, the CS said all school buses and other vehicles will be required to install Vehicular Telematics to reduce accidents.
“When an accident occurred at Londiani, I announced that we are going to apply technology by making sure that all of our vehicles starting with school buses, we are going to fit them with Vehicular Telematics,” Murkomen said.
He explained that the technology will determine how students and school transport is going to be managed.
“We will want accountability from our schools in terms of how they manage the drivers and maintenance the vehicles,” he added.
The CS revealed that the team concerned is finalizing the standards including that of Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to develop the right telematics for vehicles in the country.
“When we finish these standards, I will be giving directions together with Education CS on how all the schools will be required mandatorily to install vehicular telematics in their buses,” he stated.
How Truck Owners Used Vehicular Telematics
Murkomen explained that trucks used to cause many accidents in Kenya until the companies and transporters installed vehicular telematics.
He said the transporters are able to monitor their drivers from Mombasa to Malaba and even Kampala with the technology complete with cameras.
“They are able to see the driver on a computer screen, if the driver is about to doze off, they call and tell him to park the vehicle,” he explained.
He mentioned that the ministry is working with Safaricom to develop cheap technology that will be affordable to the schools.
Murkomen said the principals will employ a person who will check the driver and all the activities happening on the bus during school trips.
Also Read: NTSA Confirms Deaths & Spike in Road Accidents in 2024
School Accidents
The announcement came days after a Chavakali Boys High School student was killed in a road accident in Kisumu on April 1, 2024.
The student died while others sustained injuries after an Easy Coach bus heading to Nairobi was involved in an accident along the Kisumu-Kakamega highway.
Besides, 11 Kenyatta University students died after their bus collided with a trailer in Maungu on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway on March 18, 2024.
Moi University school bus was also involved in a road accident on March 27 with 65 students on board.
The bus overturned along the Nairobi- Nakuru highway but no casualties were reported.
Also Read: NTSA Lists Conditions for School Buses as Crackdown Intensifies
Managing Traffic in Nairobi
He further revealed that the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) is implementing the first phase of the Nairobi Intelligent Transport System (ITS) at 26 junctions.
Cabinet approved the use of the ITS to tackle frequent traffic jams at 401 junctions within the Capital.
Furthermore, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is digitizing motor vehicle records and drivers’ history to support digital enforcement and violation capture.
This he said was to streamline the transport sector and improve road safety.
