The National Road Safety Authority has directed authorities of primary schools providing transport services to ensure their vehicles are fit for purpose.
The directive follows observations the authority has made of some of the schools across the country.
The schools were reported to have been conveying pupils in buses that appear “rickety with sub-standard tires and seats, without seatbelts and retro-reflective tapes”.
These deficiencies in the transport services the authority deems contrary to Regulations 5, 62, 80 and 119 Road Traffic Regulations 2012, (L.I. 218) respectively.
According to NRSA the situation poses threat to the lives of the students as it increases their risk to “road traffic crashes, injuries and deaths as bus occupants and children pedestrians”.
The authoritoes of the schools are also expected to in addition to the bus conditions employ drivers who are qualified by law.
NRSA further directs that all the schools providing the transport services should “assign a responsible adult to the bus to help supervise them and ensure that they are loaded and offloaded at very safe places.”
To further reduce the road carnages, schools on major roads are advised to collaborate with stakeholders including the School Management Committees, Parent-Teacher Association and the Assembly to designate traffic wardens who “shall assist school children to cross the road during peak hours.”
Read more in the notice below:
