The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on Tuesday, June 20, issued three updates regarding the retesting of Commercial and Public Service Vehicle (PSV) drivers following concerns raised by motorists.
In a statement, the Authority clarified that the retesting process was limited to drivers who possess Driving Licences with specific class endorsements (PSVs). The retest did not apply to all drivers.
Further, NTSA noted that motorists would still be required to pay the DL renewal fees after passing the test.
"Yes. This is a pre-requisite for DL renewal," the Authority clarified.
Several motorists also pointed out that they were unable to access their results after doing the test. In response, NTSA noted that the test outcome could be accessed within the driver's account.
The retest application process is accessed via the driver's account accessible through NTSA's official site. Further, motorists can use the e-Citizen login credentials to sign in to the account.
Suspicions were also raised by several motorists online claiming that driving schools were the ultimate beneficiaries of the process.
NTSA, however, dispelled the claims and noted that the Authority was mandated to conduct the retest process.
In line with the new directive, PSV drivers had the option of re-sitting the test in the event they failed. Under clause 10, the driver would undergo refresher training at a driving school of choice before taking the retest or upon failing the exam.
Reports indicated that 248 PSV drivers out of 302 failed the test taken between June 9, 2023, and June 16, 2023. This represented an 18 per cent pass rate, hence revealing the worrying statistics of the matatu drivers who were not familiar with the basic training rules.
According to NTSA Deputy Director and Head of Safety Compliance, Driver Training and Testing, Wilson Tuigong, the mass failure was attributed to a prolonged lack of curriculum and ease of access to Driving Licences which paved the way for unqualified drivers to be granted the greenlight to operate a matatu.
On Monday, June 19, NTSA issued guidelines to motorists across the country set to retake driving tests before renewing their licences. Drivers would be required to retake the test after every three years.
