NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 30 — The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has vowed to sustain multi-agency road safety compliance checks ahead of the reopening of schools, warning motorists and public transport operators against flouting traffic regulations during the busy back-to-school period.
In a statement on Tuesday, the authority said safeguarding children returning to school is a shared responsibility involving motorists, public and private transport operators, school administrators and parents, noting that road risks tend to rise sharply after the long holiday break.
NTSA cautioned that non-compliance with traffic rules and vehicle safety requirements exposes children to preventable dangers, particularly as traffic volumes increase nationwide.
“We urge all road users to strictly comply with traffic rules, plan their journeys adequately and avoid night travel due to reduced visibility,” NTSA said.
“Vehicle owners must ensure that any vehicles used to transport children are properly maintained, roadworthy and fully licensed, including having valid insurance and inspection certificates.”
The regulator also warned parents and guardians against allowing children to board non-compliant vehicles, citing previous compliance checks that uncovered serious safety defects in school transport vehicles.
These defects included faulty or non-transmitting speed limiters, defective brakes, missing or faulty seat belts, unstable seats and malfunctioning door locks.
NTSA urged motorists to use the remaining days before schools reopen to present their vehicles for mandatory annual inspection, confirming that all NTSA motor vehicle inspection centres are open and operational.
Speed limiter vendors were further directed to ensure that all devices installed on vehicles comply with KS 2295:2018 standards, including proper speed limiting, data storage and real-time transmission to the NTSA system.
The authority assured the public that multi-agency road safety compliance checks will continue uninterrupted to uphold high safety standards and protect children returning to school.
