Schools and parents who allow school buses to pick up students before 6am or drop them off after 6pm will find themselves in trouble as the government plans to enforce the strict rules barring operations beyond the designated times.
Basic Education Permanent Secretary Julius Bitok on Wednesday, August 6, warned that a majority of schools have been operating their buses well past the designated times, whilst the bus rules are still in effect.
"For school buses, our regulations are very clear. Basic education regulations require that buses should not be on the road beyond 6pm or before 6am.
The PS reiterated that the directive applied to all learning institutions, whether public or private, warning of action from the government if buses were found flouting the directive.
"I want to call on all our drivers and stakeholders: let us stick to the rules. That is the policy of the government, and everybody is directed."
County directors of education have since been directed to be extra vigilant to crack down on schools and bus drivers flouting the rule.
The 6am-6pm school bus rule first came into play in 2018 following a spate of accidents involving school buses. One of the most tragic incidents saw 10 students succumb in a night bus tragedy in Mwingi.
At the time, the then Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i issued directives that not only compelled schools to paint their buses yellow but also restricted travel between 6am and 6pm.
The Education docket was also expected to have come up with regulations stipulating how the Traffic Amendment Act 2017 on school transport was to be implemented, but full enforcement of the act has faced challenges and inconsistencies over the years.
The act, which amended the Traffic Act (Cap 403), introduced key requirements for school buses, including having drivers with a minimum of five years' experience driving students around and being specially vetted or trained for handling school transportation.
Despite the inconsistency in enacting the rule over the years, Bitok insisted it was still in effect as he called on county directors of education to be stricter in their crackdown against buses that flouted the regulations.
Since transporting students outside the stipulated hours violates national safety guidelines, the county director may coordinate with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) or local police to detain rogue buses or initiate investigations.
