Editorials

EDITORIAL: Enforce existing rules

accident

NTSA needs to acknowledge the fact that the war against road carnage isn’t going to be won by rules and more rules that nobody complies with. file photo | nmg

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) appears keen to improve the quality of training at the country’s driving schools.

In its latest directive to the institutions, the NTSA requires them to, among other things, provide details about their instructors as well as student admission and attendance records. This follows the rollout of a new curriculum in January that tailors driving skills according to the type of vehicles.

The focus on driving schools makes a lot of sense, considering the reports linking most accidents on Kenyan roads to incompetent drivers.

But the NTSA needs to acknowledge the fact that the war against road carnage isn’t going to be won by rules and more rules that nobody complies with.

Indeed there is no shortage of rules to deal with rogue driving schools offering substandard training or bribing NTSA officials to obtain driving licences for students without having to take driving tests.

It is not even far-fetched to imagine that there are many driving school owners and corrupt NTSA officials already plotting how to go around the new rules.

If the NTSA is serious about reducing road carnage significantly, it has to get more serious about enforcement of the existing rules before introducing new ones.