Matatu owners are proposing that the issuance of driving licenses be removed from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and transferred to the National Youth Service (NYS).
Matatu Owners Association Chairman Simon Kimutai said his organization has made the recommendation to the relevant government organs after realizing that NTSA has been issuing licenses to unqualified people to drive public service vehicles (PSVs).
"The NYS is known for producing the best drivers due to their capacity to test and classify. We have recommended that the function of issuance of PSV licenses be removed from NTSA and taken to NYS," Kimutai said.
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'NTSA should take the blame'
He was speaking during a workshop on road safety attended by MOA members and National Road Safety Association and Speed Governors Association officials at the Kenyatta International Convention Center in Nairobi on Saturday, December 3, 2022.
"NTSA should be blamed for licensing persons who are not qualified to drive PSVs without testing them. This causes problems for us as investors because these people learn to drive from our vehicles and when an accident occurs we are blamed," Kimutai pointed out.
The official also took issue with private cars that are taking over the public transportation sector by being allowed to carry passengers in total disregard to safety measures. This, he said, must be checked.
David Kiarie, the chairman National Road Safety Association said private vehicles should be targeted in police roadblocks because they account for a rising number of road deaths.
He also called for the introduction of a cashless system of payment for passengers to discourage police from taking bribes from PSVs.
Speed Governor and Road Safety Association Chairman Edward Gitonga on his part maintained that limiting speed is critical in reducing road carnage.
"We have visited all accident scenes in the country and documented that speed is the main cause of road crashes," said Gitonga.
He said this year, private vehicles have killed 1,500 people while also accounting for the death of 1,200 pedestrians among the 4,600 lives lost on roads.
