The NTSA has finalised a new driving curriculum that will include mandatory annual refresher courses for all drivers. Director General Francis Mejja on Friday said the curriculum will include mandatory First Aid and courtesy lessons.
The new curriculum will be rolled out next month, January 2018. The curriculum will introduce uniformity in driver training and is expected to bring safety and professionalism in driving.
Mejja did not clarify whether the changes will increase the training period. “We have made the first steps - amending the curriculum into a professional driver course. We are introducing the curriculum with a class called professional driver. Professional drivers will be required to continuously go for training annually and at a minimum he must undertake a course once a year,” he said.
Mejja continued, “We have started a journey of professionalising driving. In other countries, people are very proud to introduce themselves as drivers. In this country. I’m not sure they are proud enough.”
He said the major causes of accidents are drink driving, speeding, illegal PSVs and pedestrians who cross the roads without paying attention to their surroundings. Mejja said the driver is central to decimating road carnage.
“If we have to see any benefits, we must start seeing changes with the drivers, but for a long time in this country, anybody who is incapable of doing anything meaningful in the society, the next thing available to them is to drive,” Mejja said.
He continued, “It is unfortunate because this is a very important person and they are in-charge of big assets because the value of vehicles these people are driving is in the millions.” Mejja said the NTSA is also in the process of rolling out the new generation driving license. It will help the road safety agency profile drivers.
