NTSA issues safety checklist for school transport
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has issued a safety checklist for school administrators that stresses the need for safe and responsible transportation of children.
In a statement on August 21, 2025, the authority has emphasised the list below for the administrators:
- Use roadworthy vehicles to transport children
- Hire qualified drivers
- Ensure buses are equipped with safety belts.
- Supervise and monitor driver conduct
- Ensure the speed limiter is functional
- Ensure the driver and conductor are not drunk
- Ensure the school bus/van use the correct route
- Free motor vehicle inspection clinics across all NTSA centres
Vehicle inspection
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Further, the authority has launched Operation Watoto Wafike Salama, a nationwide safety campaign that will offer free motor vehicle inspection clinics for school transport vehicles on Saturday, August 23, 2025.
The clinics will run from 09:00 am to 3:00 pm at designated NTSA inspection centres and are designed to assess the roadworthiness of buses and vans used to ferry learners and to advise owners and schools on corrective measures required for compliance.
NTSA inspectors will carry out comprehensive safety assessments of school transport vehicles.
Checks will focus on braking systems, tyres, lights, seat belts and the general mechanical condition of each vehicle.
Inspectors will verify that vehicles hold valid inspection certificates, a current road service licence and insurance cover.
Drivers will be required to present valid driving licences and PSV badges.
The authority has emphasised that functional speed limiters must be fitted and actively transmitting data to the Intelligent Road Safety Management System, IRSMS.
The free inspection clinics are scheduled for Saturday, August 23, 2025, at NTSA centres in major towns, including Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Machakos, Kakamega, Kisumu, Voi, Uasin Gishu, Nyahururu, Kitale, Nyeri, Thika, Embu, Meru, Kericho and Garissa.
The Kisii clinic will be held a day earlier on Friday, August 22, 2025, at Cardinal Otunga High School, Mosocho, to accommodate local operators and schools.
Operating hours
This comes weeks after the Ministry of Education (MoE) issued a warning to all school transport operators across Kenya, asking them to strictly adhere to the government’s “6-to-6” policy.
The rule bars school buses from operating before 6:00 AM and after 6:00 pm.
Speaking on Tuesday, August 6, 2025, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok insisted that the rule is not optional and must be followed by all drivers, school heads, and stakeholders involved in transporting learners.
On school buses, our policy is very clear that buses should not be on the road beyond 6:00 PM or earlier than 6:00 AM. We have a 6 to 6 rule on the transport of our children.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education PS noted that county and sub-county directors of education have received strict instructions to enforce the directive without exception.
Schools found flouting the regulation risk facing serious consequences, including deregistration of the transport provider or school warnings.
“I want to ask all our drivers and other stakeholders to stick to the rule because that is the policy of the government. All the county and sub-county directors of education have been strictly instructed on this,” Bitok added.
