Road Safety Association wants suspension of driving licenses acquired in last 6 months

Road safety players, while raising concerns over the escalating death toll as a result of road accidents, called for the suspension of all the driving licenses acquired over the past six years claiming many of the holders did not go through driving schools.

"We want those licenses cancelled and the drivers taken back to school because 80 percent of the licenses issued over the past six years are bogus. This is why the road carnage is increasing by the day and claiming innocent lives," said Road Safety Association of Kenya national Chairman David Kiarie.

While painting a gloomy picture of the situation, he noted that over the weekend alone more than 20 Kenyans lost their lives due to accidents which could otherwise have been avoided.

"Nationally, road fatalities rose from 4,324 in 2023 to 4,748 last year representing a 10 percent increase. Since January this year, the toll has exceeded 300 lives. This is a serious state of affairs!" Kiarie pointed out.

The latest road crashes over the weekend separately involved an ambulance which collided with a trailer claiming 6 lives and a matatu ferrying family members which rammed into a truck near Kariandusi in Nakuru County leading to the deaths of 16 of them.

The official, who was accompanied by investors in the transport sector and boda boda operators said the government must act decisively to check the road deaths, accusing relevant agencies of turning a deaf ear to concerns raised by stakeholders in the transport sector.

Kiarie referred to the recent National Road Safety Conference in Mombasa attended by Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davies Chirchir, which he said sidelined key players in the sector including speed limiter suppliers, public service vehicle bodybuilders and even driving schools whom he said play an integral part in road safety.

"It is time the government stopped paying lip service to matters of road safety and the alarming death toll and acted with the seriousness required. For how long shall we continue losing people on the roads?" posed the official.

At the same time, Kiarie took issue with plans by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to privatise some of its core services, saying this could seriously compromise road safety.

"Kenya cannot pledge to reduce road deaths while actually presiding over their increase. Families are grieving and the county's economy is hurting. We need focused strategies, transparent leadership and practical fixes on the ground," Kiarie stated.

He also talked of a plan to extend the NTSA Director General's tenure noting that the current office bearer is serving his second three-year term which ends next month.