This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
Kenyan roads have long been plagued by reckless driving and disregard for traffic laws. In a move to address this issue, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has announced plans to suspend driving licenses of drivers found flouting traffic rules.
According to NTSA, the move is aimed at restoring sanity on Kenyan roads. The authority cited an ongoing crackdown on illegal PSV operators as an example of their efforts to enforce traffic laws.
During the crackdown, several motorists were arrested, vehicles impounded, and motor vehicle owners charged in Nyeri. The charges included operating without valid motor vehicle inspection stickers and failing to comply with the Traffic Act.
A taxi driver was also charged for operating without a PSV badge as required by the PSV Regulations. Other motorists will be arraigned today to answer to different charges.
NTSA has also announced that suspended driving licenses will be reinstated only after the individuals have undergone driver retesting.
Additionally, NTSA is in possession of more than 4,000 smart driver's licenses still awaiting collection by the owners. The authority attributed the delay in printing the licenses to a problem with a printer, which has since been replaced with a high-capacity printer.
NTSA Director General Francis Meja explained that they had cleared the backlog of licenses but were now facing a new challenge: many applicants were not collecting their licenses when called. Meja stated,
