This archive report was first published on 28 July 2019.
With Kenya's August 5 deadline for speed governors fast approaching, tech firms are scrambling to meet the anticipated demand. One such firm, Orient Scientific Limited, has won a recommendation from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to develop and distribute third-generation speed governors.
According to Archborn Bush, head of business development at Orient Scientific Limited, the company has finalized the creation of a prototype of a third-generation speed governor. Bush noted that the demand from NTSA was huge, with fears that cheap Chinese imports would flood the market and undermine the effectiveness of the speed governors.
‘The demand from NTSA was huge. There were fears from the agency that cheap Chinese imports would flood the market and the whole idea behind implementation of tight regulations to control over-speeding especially by Public Service Vehicle (PSVs) would be defeated,' Mr Bush said.
As part of the licensing process, firms had to undergo scrutiny to comply with strict standards set by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs). Bush revealed that Kebs had worked closely with NTSA to establish these standards, which were implemented in September last year.
‘Both State agencies have been watching as we develop the prototype since September last year to ensure that we get the standards right,' Bush said.
Once implemented, all vehicles fitted with the speed governor will be directly connected to a centre station at NTSA for monitoring. Orient Scientific Limited is also partnering with NTSA to train their staff on how to monitor speeding vehicles using the new speed governors.
‘We are partnering with NTSA by training their staff on how to monitor speeding vehicles using the new speed governors,' Bush said.
Additionally, Orient Scientific Limited is involved in fleet and fuel management. If a vehicle tries to tamper with the governor and speeds, the tampering will be immediately recorded at NTSA and the driver apprehended.
