As schools across the country reopen next week, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has issued a comprehensive safety checklist for drivers and conductors.
Under the ongoing campaign, Operation Watoto Wafike Salama, the initiative aims to ensure the safe transportation of children and promote road safety, especially for school transport vehicles.
In a public notice shared on Wednesday, August 20, NTSA outlined several mandatory safety requirements that all Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators must adhere to. Among them is the requirement that all vehicles must be roadworthy and possess valid inspection certificates, road service licenses (RSL), and insurance documents.
The NTSA emphasized the importance of functional speed limiters, which must actively transmit data to the Intelligent Road Safety Management System (IRSMS) — a central platform used by NTSA to monitor PSV compliance in real-time.
Safety checklist for all drivers and conductors
Additionally, the authority directed that vehicles must be properly serviced, with all key components such as brakes, tires, lights, and side mirrors in full working condition. Only vehicles meeting these conditions will be considered fit for transporting school children.
Drivers and conductors must also ensure that their driving licenses and PSV badges are valid.
The checklist further states that all children must wear seat belts, there should be no excess passengers, and no child or any part of their body should hang outside the vehicle.
In a crucial reminder, NTSA urged operators to report any child suspected to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol to the appropriate authorities.
The campaign comes amid concerns over increased road traffic incidents and seeks to reinforce safety standards for school-going children.
Meanwhile, NTSA has announced free motor vehicle inspection clinics for school transport vehicles as part of the Operation Watoto Wafike Salama campaign
The inspections will take place on Saturday, August 23, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at all designated NTSA inspection centres countrywide.
According to the notice, the free inspections aim to assess and guide vehicle owners and school administrations on any corrective measures needed to enhance the safety of school-going children.
Also Read: NTSA Issues Notice to All Motor Vehicle & Motorcycle Owners
All school transport vehicles are required to undergo this safety assessment to ensure compliance with roadworthiness standards and promote child safety.
The free inspection clinics will be available in major towns, including Mombasa, Machakos, Kakamega, Kisumu, Nairobi (Likoni Rd), Nakuru, Voi, Nyeri, Embu, Kericho, Uasin Gishu, Kitale, Thika, Meru, Garissa, and Nyahururu.
A separate session will be held in Kisii County on Friday, August 22, a day earlier than the rest.
NTSA issues directive on school transport safety ahead of reopening
The agency is calling on all school vehicle operators to present their vehicles for inspection and participate in the initiative, which is crucial for ensuring the safe transportation of children as schools reopen.
Also Read: NTSA Lists Major Red Flags Discovered in School Buses Ahead of School Reopening
While directing all players in school transport operations to ensure the vehicles that will be used to carry children back to school are mechanically sound, NTSA last week noted that some school transport vehicles had not installed speed limiters.
It also said that others operated with non-serviced (expired) speed limiters, contrary to the requirements of KS 2295:2018.
At the same time, the authority revealed that substandard interior conditions, featuring worn-out upholstery (ripped seats), unstable cushions, torn or jagged seat edges, malfunctioning door locks, and faulty sliding rails in the vehicles were observed during the checks.
Some of the vehicles, NTSA added, lacked seat belts, while in others, the seat belts and buckles were defective.
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