GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY PARTNERSHIP- 3rd AFRICA ROAD SAFETY SEMINAR, CAPE TOWN

An overview of scholar transport policies in Kenya: current status and future directions.

Gordon Otieno OdundoChief Executive

Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital

Presentation Content

Present an overview of school transport policies in Kenya: current status and future

directions 

The country has a young population, with 73% of residents aged below 30 years because of rapid population growth from 2.9 million to 44 million inhabitants over the last century. 1.5 million children are born each year

Hospital Entrance

Centres of Excellence

Our Network

Where it started

School transport Are our children safe?

Why the advocacy

As a society, we have always treated children as small versions of adults and therefore exposed them to risks

related to crashes

Children have a limitation to size, vision, hearing and attention which impairs their judgment to risks and their consequent response therefore

exposing them

The responsibility of guaranteeing the safety of our children on the roads has been left to the children

Serious injuries suffered in a road accident can have an impact on a child for the rest of their

life

• They can affect physical and cognitive abilities, as well as psychological wellbeing.

• The child may have to spend a significant amount of time in hospital and require long-term treatment as an outpatient.

• Their physical abilities after the accident may be altered, for example if they have sustained a spinal injury or lost limbs or sight.

• Head injuries can result in changes to cognitive abilities and personality

School transport system in Kenya has largely remained unregulated; this has led to the school transport

vehicles a preserve of old public service vehicles and the enforcers helpless on how to respond

In the events of crashes, only drivers are blamed while school administrations could have prevented the occurrences

Background Information about the Transport Sector in Kenya:

The current legislation, Traffic Act CAP 403, does not address aspects of child

road safety

The Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2014 seeks to amend section 42 of CAP 403

Also, it seeks to insert a new section 105B of CAP 403, so as to introduce

child safety in motor vehicles

The proposed changes to the law are needed urgently to protect Kenyan children from being killed or injured on their way to and from school

Regulation of school transport system

Under the Bill, all school vehicles must comply with set safety standards, as well as being fitted with safety equipment suitable for children

Vehicles transporting children will also be painted yellow to alert other road users

Reduction of speed around schools

Vehicle Calming

Statutory penalties for enforcing speed

• The Bill also sets penalties for drivers exceeding the speed limits.

• These will range from Kshs 10,000 to Kshs 25,000.

Timeline of Activities

The Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2014 is at the stage of the first reading in the

Kenya National Assembly. 

Conclusion

By Kenya enacting the new law as well as enforcing it savings would accrue

due to the reduced cost of treatment ,less wages lost by family

members attending to injured children ,lives saved , the reduced

social burden and thus a significant positive impact on the economy