The county government of Murang’a has facilitated training of more than 450 boda boda riders who were issued with smart driving licenses.
The riders were drawn from all the 35 wards with the aim of equipping them with riding and safety skills in effort to minimize road carnage.
Issuing the smart licenses to the riders on Tuesday at the county headquarters, Governor Irungu Kang’ata said the licenses will enable them to apply for licenses noting that incase of accident the riders will be compensated by the respective insurance firm.
Kang’ata said the training which brought in officers from NTSA was critical to ensure the riders observe traffic rules and avoid causing road accidents.
He explained those who got the driving licenses were also trained on road safety rules and undertook NTSA driving tests.
“The county government factored training of boda boda riders considering their contribution in the economy of the county. We also don’t want to be losing those engaged in the boda boda sector through accidents and the training and issuing of the riders with smart driving licenses is one way of curbing road accidents,” noted the governor.
He continued “with the smart driving license which is supposed to be renewed after three years, you can now embark on applying for insurance. Insuring yourself and the pillion passenger is very important since the insurance cover will ensure you are compensated in case of an accident,”
Underscoring the programme, Kang’ata noted the county government will continue with training boda boda riders saying soon they will launch the second cohort.
“This programme is supported by the County Assembly and the MCAs are fully involved in the exercise by helping recruit those to be trained. We will have a second cohort soon,” he added.
Boda boda riders have been accused for increased cases of road accidents with the training deemed to help reduce road carnage.
The county executive member for youth and sports Gachucha Manoah urged the riders to always observe road safety saying reckless driving has seen many lose their lives.
“Majority of those engaged in the boda boda sector are young people and this training is very crucial to ensure they conduct their businesses well and protect their lives and their customers,” said Manoah.
He promised to champion the training until all riders in the county have smart driving licenses and insurance cover.
By Bernard Munyao
