The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has responded to the recent increase in school bus accidents by taking action.
NTSA has announced a medical camp training for all school bus drivers within the Nairobi Metropolitan area, following the release of a report indicating Nairobi county had the highest number of road accidents.
Scheduled for March 2, the medical camp aims to curb the recent surge in road accident fatalities. The event will be held at Parklands Primary School, commencing at 9.00 am.
Additionally, NTSA plans to provide comprehensive training sessions during the medical camp, focusing on crucial aspects such as defensive driving techniques, road safety regulations, and emergency response procedures.
So far 649 people have lost their lives in road accidents in Kenya over the last two months as per the statistics from NTSA.
“Five roads in Nairobi County, representing two per cent of the road network, account for 36 per cent of all fatal crashes in the country,” said NTSA Director-General George Njao.
Thika Superhighway, Outering Road, Mombasa-Nairobi Highway, Eastern Bypass, and Northern Bypass are currently identified as the most accident-prone roads, particularly susceptible to bus crashes.
The majority of accidents within these areas occur predominantly between 7 pm and 10 pm, as reported by NTSA.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, speaking on Wednesday, February 28, acknowledged the inherent dangers associated with the current designs of school buses.
Addressing a parliamentary committee, Machogu highlighted that the existing design of school buses significantly contributes to fatalities and poses a heightened risk to school-going children.
"We take the chassis of a lorry and then say you want to buy a bus. The effect of this is that when an accident occurs, chances of it killing the students are high," Machogu commented.
CS Machogu elaborated further, emphasising that school buses should be designed to prioritize comfort and not be from a vehicles used to carry luggage.
