Driving schools reject NTSA’s new curriculum, say it is discriminatory

The move by National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to introduce a new curriculum for Kenyan driving schools has been met with opposition from the Kenya Association of Driving Schools.

Led by the association’s Chair John Mwatha and the Secretary General Lucas Okaka, the institutions said the move is ill-timed as it would lock them out of business.

The driving schools have now threatened to move to court to block the implementation of the curriculum, which they claim has been borrowed from Sweden.

The association also claims that they were not consulted in the drafting process, adding that NTSA is using this curriculum to favor certain driving schools.

The institutions further claimed that NTSA’s decision was forcing small driving schools out of business by denying them licenses when they fail to fulfill the requirements set out in the new curriculum.

However, NTSA’s Road Safety Director, Matthew Munyao, said the new curriculum will go a long way in reducing roads accidents by ensuring the driving schools churn out highly competent drivers.

Munyao, who spoke after a consultative meeting convened at Boma Hotel with the driving schools’ proprietors, said he is confident that they will find an amicable solution, thus keeping both parties out of protracted court battles which may derail the implementation of the new curriculum.

Among the contentious issues in the draft curriculum are: the 1.7 acres land requirement for each driving school to be used as a training yard; a classroom measuring 8metres by 6metres; the replacement of traffic police as the examining body and a comprehensive insurance cover for the training vehicles among others.

In the past few years, NTSA has been introducing a new raft of measures to ensure the safety of Kenyans on the roads.

On Wednesday, the authority announced it had revoked the licenses of 14 drivers of Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) for flouting traffic rules over the past week.

NTSA also cancelled Road Service Licenses for eight PSVs who failed to comply with rules set for night travel, adding that it will start publishing names of drivers who flout road safety rules.

Out of the 14, eight drivers had their licenses revoked for flouting night travel rules, while four others were found to be drunk while ferrying passengers.

One driver lost his license for mistreating passengers and another for causing a crash due to dangerous driving.

In September, NTSA raised concern over the increase in cases of drivers tampering with speed governors.

In a press release, NTSA Director General Francis Meja said the authority would intensify checks speed limiters on PSVs and commercial vehicles to ensure the gadgets are not tampered with.

“It has emerged that some PSVs and commercial vehicle operators have contravened their operator license by tampering or disconnecting their speed governors, with a view to drive their motor vehicles beyond the set speed limits,” read the release.

It went further to state: “The Authority wish to inform all Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) and commercial vehicles operators who fail, neglect or refuse to comply with the set conditions of speed governors, that NTSA will permanently withdraw the Road Service License (RSL) of the culpable operator.”