The National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) will be pivotal in the operations and management of the Kenya Railway corporation if the proposed bill is passed and signed into law. NTSA will act as the railway economic and safety regulator and will be in charge of issuing safety certificates to railway line operators
The Kenya Railways Bill 2019, it is an act of Parliament to establish Kenya Railways Corporation as a network and train operator; to provide for the functions of the National Transport and Safety Authority as the railway economic and safety regulator; to provide for open access and licensing of other train operators; to establish the Railway Training Institute; and for connected purposes.
NTSA shall oversee the construction of new railway lines, license railway contractors, train operators and certify railway training centres and locomotive.
” Before any section of a new railway line is declared open for the public carriage of passengers or goods, the Authority shall furnish to the person having constructed the new railway line with a certificate attesting that such section complies with the standards laid down by the Authority and may, in the opinion of such engineer or other people, be opened for the public carriage of passengers or goods without danger to the public,” reads Section 45 (1) of the Bill.
“The Authority shall revoke a safety certificate if it is satisfied that the holder is not operating rolling stock on the Kenya network or the railway line, as the case may be, as intended pursuant to that safety certificate and has not
done so throughout the period of one year commencing with the date of issue of the safety certificate by the Authority,” reads section 60 (1).
Kenya Railways has held and scheduled a series of public forums around the country following the development of the Draft Kenya Railways Bill 2019 to invoke the power of public participation. The Bill proposes the separation of the policy-making, infrastructure development, management, operations, safety and economic regulation functions.
The remaining public forums are scheduled to take place in Kisumu, Siaya & Homa Bay Counties on May 24, 2018 at National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), Mombasa, Taita Taveta and Kwale Counties on May 28, 2018 at the Kenya School of Government, Kilifi, Lamu & Tana River Counties on May 29, 2018 at the Malindi County Hall.
