Transport authority appoints registrar of motor vehicles as boss

What you need to know:

National Transport and Safety Authority has appointed Francis Meja as its director general.
Mr Meja has been working as the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
One of the major challenges to Mr Meja will be to oversee the implementation of the new and modern speed governors that all commercial and public vehicles have to install by April 1.

National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has appointed Francis Meja as its director general. Until his appointment, Mr Meja has been working as the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.

The appointment comes with a clear cut role for Mr Meja in a sector that has initiated a number of reforms to curb increased cases of road carnage that last year alone claimed more than 3,000 lives.

“In accordance with the NTSA Act 2012, Section 15, the board, in consultation with the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, has appointed Mr Francis Mooke Meja as the director-general in-charge,” said the body’s chairman Lee Kinyanjui.

One of the major challenges to Mr Meja will be to oversee the implementation of the new and modern speed governors that all commercial and public vehicles have to install by April 1.

READ: Agency orders matatus to install new speed governors

In a communique sent to the media, Mr Kinyanjui said the new entrant brings on board a wealth of knowledge and expertise on road transport and transport logistics.

“This appointment comes at a time when NTSA is implementing major legislative, operational and enforcement initiatives aimed at improving road safety and his selection will set up structures and systems that will successfully implement the set agenda,” he said.

The NTSA Act, 2012 mandated the authority to bring under one umbrella the functions that were previously performed by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, Motor Vehicle Registration and Inspection Unit and the Transport Licensing Board (TLB).

The body is charged with ensuring compliance to traffic laws.

Mr Kinyanjui said Mr Meja is expected to strengthen the work that the authority is already doing in improving road transport and especially safety.

He said NTSA, in collaboration with Traffic Police and the Judiciary, has since the beginning of the year realised significant achievements, which have led to reduction in the number of road traffic accidents across the country.

“These initiatives have contributed to reduction of road traffic deaths with 326 being reported in the month of January, 2013 against 235 fatalities in January, 2014,” said Mr Kinyanjui.