The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has embarked on a clean-up exercise to shut down unregulated driving schools in the country.
It has directed over 500 schools to reapply their operating licenses and will issue compliances licenses to those who qualify as it comes up with a set of new rules.
Those that fail to meet the infrastructure and staff qualification expectations will be forced to close shop.
The move comes amid a petition filed at the courts by the Kenya Driving Schools Association (KDSA) seeking to block NTSA from implementing the new rules. This petition by KDSA, which is the second attempt in five years, claims that it has 700 paid members, most facing closure if the rules are forced.
According to the new rules, NTSA will send officials to inspect each driving school with the aim of ascertaining that the staff and infrastructure requirements are met before fresh licences are issued.
The driving schools will also be required to have waiting areas, management offices, washrooms and theory classrooms that can hold a capacity of at least four students sitting at least one square metre apart with a town model board. They must also have a town model board and road sign posters approved by the NTSA.
Driving tutors will be required to have gotten a mean grade of at least D minus in their KCSE, a certificate in computer studies or a similar qualification.
The minimum number of instructors per driving school will also be set at two.
The Driving schools will be required to submit their annual reports to the NTSA by the end of January each year.
This will be the second time the regulator will be conducting a mop-up exercise in two years after it revoked 51 driving school licenses.
The schools were revoked due to failure to provide documents required for the validation exercise that commenced in April 2019.
The schools which have been revoked include:
Nairobi
Charkar Trade Company- Embakasi
Ganatra Plant and Equipment Training Institute Limited –Baba DogoRoad
Kifaru Driving School -Eastleigh
Motory cycle Riding School (K) Limited Ngara
Printax Driving School –Village Market
Safe Link Driving School- Ruaraka
Sony Driving School -Ongata Rongai
World International Driving- Donholm
Embu
NationWide Driving School
Mike Saba Driving School
Jabs Driving School
Kisii and Kisumu
Imperial Driving School – Rongo, Kisii
Samtech Driving School – Kisumu
KwachDrivingSchool – Kisumu
Leach Driving School – Kisumu
Captain Driving School – Kisumu
Bungoma and Mombasa
Sayona Driving School – Bungoma
Gakara Driving School
Iqra Driving School
Isma Driving School and Computer Services
Meru and Marsabit
Turima Driving School – Meru
Marsabit Driving School
Nakuru
Mercy Driving School
Motorcycle Riding School
Kareu Hardware Driving School
Rift Valley Institute of Business Studies
Batian Driving School -Naivasha
Uasin Gishu, Thika, Kiambu and Garissa
Camy Driving School- Eldoret
LifeStyle Driving School- Ngariga
Baraka Driving School -Kimbimbi
Geombuki Driving School-Branch- Thika
Digitex Driving School -Thika
Thogoto Technology- Kikuyu
Gakuyo Plant Operators Driving School- Thika
Aha Driving School Limited -Thika
Nyaga Youth Polytechnic Driving School -Ngewa
Excel Driving School -Garissa
Petanns Driving School And Computer College Limited -Ruaka
St.Kizito Driving school- Mwihoko
Waki Driving School- Gatundu
Shanik Driving School -Thika
Batian Driving School- Makuyu
Sony Driving School Muranga-Kenol
Angelica Ventures Company Limited -Thika
Joho Driving School Limuru-Town
Denis Motor Vehicle Training and Driving School -Matuu
Ithoka Driving School Mwingi
Machakos
Amon Driving School
Double Vision Driving School
Kaewa Technical Training & Driving School
Autotech Automobile Driving School Kitengela-Namanga
NTSA is tasked with licensing drivers, formulating and reviewing the driving school curriculum, vide section 4(2)(i) and (j) of the National Transport and Safety Authority Act, 2012.
