The 2NK Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) has concluded a three-day nationwide training for its over 1,000 drivers.
The training, whose aim was to enhance road safety especially during this festive season was held in Nyeri in partnership with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and insurance companies.
It was further aimed at improving their customer service, with the SACCO officials saying that the skills learned will also be applied immediately, and more so when schools re-open in January next year.
The SACCO’s vice-chairman Reuben Ndonga said the refresher training was aimed at reinforcing safety practices ahead of the holidays and back-to-school season when traffic volumes are expected to rise. He noted that speed management, lane discipline and adherence to traffic rules were particularly emphasised during the training.
“We have trained about 1,050 drivers in the last three days. The training is meant to remind them about some of the key safety measures that they need to observe especially now that we are expecting higher traffic during the festivities,” said Ndonga.
Solomon Karanja, who plies the Nakuru-Nairobi route termed the training as timely. He said that the refresher training will help strengthen their knowledge of traffic rules.
“The training will keep us grounded on the traffic rules. We have been discouraged from ferrying excess passengers especially during the festivities which is our peak season. We have also gotten a chance to ask questions on emerging concerns,” said Karanja.
Ephraim Karimi, the chairman of the SACCO, noted that 2NK has institutionalized regular training as a way of maintaining high safety standards. Karimi said that in addition to the training, the SACCO has lined up monthly operations to address customer complaints in a bid to scale up internal compliance measures.
“The industry has really changed. Unlike in the past when the drivers supervised themselves, today NTSA acts as the regulator. So, we have to take internal measures to ensure adherence to the set rules to safeguard the lives of passengers,” said Karimi.
He also urged members of the public to promptly report cases of road indiscipline involving the SACCO as a way of promoting road safety. Similarly, he called on the passengers to strictly adhere to road safety rules by avoiding unroadworthy and overloaded vehicles.
“The SACCO, together with NTSA will soon be releasing hotline mobile numbers which members of the public can use to report any cases of road indiscipline. We are counting on everyone’s support to ensure that our roads stay safe during this busy season,” he said.
By Wangari Mwangi
