Asige sponsors Bill to make public transport safe, inclusive
Nominated Senator Crystal Asige has tabled a Bill seeking to make public transport safe and more inclusive especially for people living with disabilities.
The Traffic Laws (Universal Design) (Amendment) Bill, 2025 seeks to rein in rogue drivers and touts to ensure passengers are well treated.
Asige says the Bill, already published, is set for first reading in the Senate, introduces the concept of universal design in transport and infrastructure — ensuring systems are accessible and usable by all, regardless of age, size, ability or disability.
“Universal design means the design and composition of buildings, roads, technologies, products, or services in a way that they can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people, without the need for adaptation or specialized design,” said Asige.
The Bill seeks to improve customer care, first aid, emergency response and defensive driving skills since it recommends that these be made mandatory qualifications for anyone seeking a Public Service Vehicle license once approved by the Senate.
The Bill seeks to amend the Traffic Act (Cap 407) to provide for the testing of specific skills in persons applying for licenses to drive Public Service Vehicles while Matatu operators are mandated to have dedicated seats for Persons Living with Disabilities in their vehicles.
The Bill requires PSV drivers to stop their vehicles and give way to persons with disabilities and also ensure controlled music noise so that it is not so loud as to impair the navigation or communication of persons who utilise sound to communicate.
“The amendments to the National Transport Authority Act aim to ensure accessibility and ease of use of public transport by persons with disability and also encourage the use of cashless fare collection systems by introducing incentives to operators who adopt such systems,” said Asige.
The Omnibus Bill seeks to amend at least four Acts of Parliament including the Traffic Act, the Kenya Roads Act, the National Transport and Safety Authority Act and the National Construction Authority Act.
The Bill mandates the national highways authority to erect traffic signs that are easily accessible, simple and easy to use by all persons, including persons with disabilities while tasking the state agency to ensure all roads in the country have dedicated lanes for non-motorised transport – pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users.
The Bill enhances fines for non-authorised use of non-motorised transport lanes from the current Sh30,000 to Sh50,000 and seeks to amend section 5 of NCA Act to ensure buildings are designed in a manner that facilitates continuous access and use of facilities by persons with disabilities.
“Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Authority shall ensure that all buildings— are accessible by a person with a disability; and have parking spaces reserve at least two parking spaces or five percent of all the parking spaces, whichever is more, to persons with disability,” says the Bill.
