National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has shut down its portal which implements the Traffic Driving School Instructor and License Rules 2020 following a petition by the Kenya Driving Schools Association to quash the rules, alleging lack of public participation.
In a statement released to the media, NTSA said they closed the portal in compliance to the High court order, which has constrained them from implementing the said rules through the portal.
“The Court held that there was public participation and hence declined to quash the said Rules. The Court however halted the implementation of the Rules pending the presentation of the same to both houses of Parliament… The Authority in compliance with the said court order, closed the portal which implements the Rules,” said NTSA in the statement.
The High court in February this year, halted licensing of driving schools, driving school instructors and renewal of licenses for the latter. Applications for provisional driving licenses, test booking and testing for driving school instructors and trainee drivers were also suspended.
Earlier this year, NTSA, in a bid to eliminate rogue driving schools, stipulated a number of new rules to be observed by more than 500 driving schools in the country, in a bid to curb rogue driving schools.
Among the rules was driving schools would need to freshly apply for operation licenses, which would only happen after NTSA officials confirmed that the school met all infrastructure and staff requirements.
The institutions were also required to have at least two driving instructors, who needed to have attained a minimum of a D minus in their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. In defense, NTSA argued that the rules that were previously in place were outdated.
The Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development in compliance with the court order, have since re-transmitted the Rules to both houses of Parliament for deliberation and approval. BY DAILY NATION