NTSA Declares Mandatory Inspection for All Heavy Commercial Vehicles to Curb Rising Road Carnage
In a bold move to reduce road accidents, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) will now require all heavy commercial vehicles to undergo mandatory inspection.
Speaking during a road safety awareness campaign in Diani on Sunday, NTSA board chair Khatib Mwashetani said this decision is long overdue.
“Heavy commercial vehicles are not compelled to be inspected,” he said.
“Now we are putting on a regulation to ensure each and every commercial vehicle… has to be inspected.”
Why the Sudden Move?
Over the past months, Kenyan roads have turned deadly, with trucks over five tonnes causing most of the havoc.
Mwashetani emphasized that unchecked vehicles have become death traps, endangering thousands of lives daily.
“They are one of the biggest causes of incidents,” he stated.
“We must act now.”
Bodabodas and Pedestrians Also Under the Radar
But NTSA isn’t just targeting truck owners.
Mwashetani insisted that everyone must play a role—including pedestrians, bodaboda riders, and motorists.
“We have decided, as NTSA, the easiest way of communicating safety is by coming together,” he said.
“To reduce the carnage, we must obey the law.”
The agency will now launch mass sensitization campaigns, especially for bodaboda operators.
New Regulations Already in Motion
This announcement comes months after NTSA released a draft of updated rules for commercial vehicles in January 2025.
Dubbed Draft NTSA (Operation of Commercial Service Vehicles) Regulations, 2025, the proposal includes eight key safety demands:
- Mandatory third-party insurance
- Valid inspection certificates
- Speed limiters per KEBS standards
- Telematics systems for vehicle tracking
- Retro-reflective markings at least two inches wide
- Underride protection devices
- Accessible fire extinguishers
- First-aid kits inside all vehicles
These measures aim to restore order on highways and save lives.
The Road Ahead: Enforce or Perish
Mwashetani called on lawmakers, police, and the public to back the new rules.
“For us to reduce the carnage in the country, we must act together and swiftly,” he concluded.
Enough is Enough!’ NTSA Forces Inspections on Heavy Vehicles to Curb Carnage
As these new inspections begin, NTSA hopes lives will be saved—not lost to negligence.
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NTSA Declares Mandatory Inspection for All Heavy Commercial Vehicles to Curb Rising Road Carnage
