The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is planning to introduce automated driver testing and open five new vehicle inspection centres as the government moves to improve road safety and transport services.
The Ministry of Transport said on Thursday, August 27, that the government plans to set up five automated driver testing units and automate the theory part of the driving test.
The changes are part of the ministry’s medium-term plans for the 2027/2028 to 2029/2030 financial years.
NTSA also plans to establish five new vehicle inspection centres and upgrade another five existing facilities.
The ministry said the measures are aimed at making driver testing and vehicle inspection more efficient while improving road safety.
“Under the road safety plan for the medium term, we have prioritised the review of the Transport Act,” the ministry said.
The government also plans to push the implementation of the National Mobility Policy as part of wider changes in the transport sector.
The ministry said it had already constructed model vehicle inspection centres in Thika, Kiambu County, and Likoni, Nairobi, to improve inspection services.
It also reported progress in installing four testing lanes for driver testing and vehicle inspection.
The government has further operationalised the Commercial Service Vehicle Regulations 2015, Traffic Motor Vehicle Inspection Rules 2015 and Traffic School Transport Rules 2015.
The ministry is also working on a Smart Transport Policy, which will guide the use of technology and other changes in the transport sector.
Another planned change is an automated fare collection system that will allow passengers to make payments across different modes of transport.
The government also intends to operationalise 14 NTSA service points at Huduma Centres.
The additional service points are expected to bring more NTSA services closer to motorists and other Kenyans who currently have to travel to specific offices for transport-related services.
The planned reforms come as the government seeks to reduce manual processes in driver testing, vehicle inspection and other NTSA services while using technology to improve efficiency.
