PSV drivers and conductors will soon undergo a mandatory First Aid training, NTSA director general Francis Meja has said.
Meja said this is vital as drivers are the first point of contact in case of an accident and emergency.
He was addressing the media on Friday at the NTSA Likoni Road Inspection Centre in Nairobi.
"This will help to boost the response times, as a driver of the next vehicle to arrive at an accident scene can stop and provide first aid until an ambulance arrives then proceed with their journey," Meja said.
The current average response time for ambulances in Kenya is more than nine minutes.
This according to the DG will greatly help reduce the number of lives lost in accidents
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Meja also said the authority is considering reviewing the existing road safety rules as the last time they were reviewed was in 1971.
"We are also putting in place a standardised curriculum for all driving schools across the country to ensure uniformity of what is being taught. The authority shall develop the curriculum for training and testing the drivers and instructors and all driving instructions shall be in accordance with the approved curriculum," he added.
For instance, a driving school will be required to have a reception/waiting area, a theory classroom with a minimum seating capacity of eight students of which each has a space of at least two square metres and displayed road sign posters in the design approved by NTSA, and with a minimum of two instructors.
There will be a school manager who will ensure the preparation of teaching materials according to the curriculum, perform record keeping and oversee the preparation and conducting of all internal exams.
Government statistics show between January and October this year alone, 2,500 people have died in road accidents.
Pedestrians continue to top the list of deaths. More than 748 died compared to last year’s 693.
The NTSA blamed the crashes on inadequate footbridges and crossing points and failure to observe traffic rules.
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