Nairobi — The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has said it will communicate enforcement timelines for mandatory reflectorised stop-sign arms and telematics systems required under the Traffic (School Transport) Rules, 2026.
In a public notice issued Friday, the Authority said inspections of school transport vehicles will continue at NTSA centres, with operators and school management required to ensure vehicles carrying children are roadworthy and possess valid inspection stickers.
The Authority directed law enforcement officers to verify the validity of inspection stickers through the NTSA Mobile App.
However, NTSA clarified that enforcement of Rule 13, which requires reflectorised red stop mechanical signal arms, and Rule 14, which mandates telematics systems in school transport vehicles, has not yet commenced.
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"Enforcement for rules 13 and 14 of the Traffic (School Transport) Rules, 2026 shall be communicated to the public in due course," the Authority said.
The reflectorised stop-sign arms are intended to alert surrounding motorists when children are boarding or alighting from school vehicles, while telematics systems are designed to provide real-time monitoring of vehicle location, speed and operational behaviour.
Despite the deferred enforcement of the new requirements, school vehicles remain subject to mandatory annual inspections regardless of age and must maintain valid inspection certification before operating on public roads.
Operators whose vehicles fail inspection are required to rectify identified defects before returning for re-inspection, with the law restricting the use of vehicles that have failed inspection except for purposes related to repairs.
The Traffic (Motor Vehicle Inspection) Rules, 2026 provide penalties for operating vehicles that are required to undergo inspection but have not been inspected, using inspection stickers issued for other vehicles, altering inspection reports without authorization, or attempting to circumvent inspection requirements.
Such offences attract a fine of up to Sh20,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
The latest announcement forms part of a broader package of road safety reforms unveiled by NTSA, including the rollout of annual inspections for vehicles older than four years from their recorded date of manufacture from July 1.
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