The government has banned the importation of used passenger buses and trucks in a move aimed at increasing safety on Kenyan roads.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) announced that the ban, which follows the implementation of new standards, will take effect from July 1st this year.
“Kebs wishes to inform all stakeholders and the general public that effective July 1st, 2022, all used passenger minibuses, midibuses, large buses, single articulated and bi-articulated business and double-decker buses shall not be allowed for importation into the country,” Kebs said in a statement.
The agency further stated that it will not allow the importation second-hand rigid trucks with Gross Value Mass (GVM) equal to or greater than 3.5 tonnes and up to and including 30 tonnes.
Importers of second-hand tractor heads and prime movers not older than three years have been given a grace period of up to June 30th, 2023, after which they too will be banned.
Kebs noted that the embargo does not affect small vans or microbuses with a length of up to seven meters as well as other non-commercial vehicles including saloon and SUV cars, provided they are not older than eight years.
But second-hand imports will be required to meet higher standards in terms of emissions, with Kebs requiring them to have met the Euro IV/4 standards on emission in a bid to curb pollution and improve air quality.
“All imported new diesel-powered and petrol power vehicles shall be type-approved to meet the requirements of Euro IV/4 before importation into the country,” said Kebs.
Someone will file a lawsuit…
Someone will file a lawsuit about this soon.
I just informed Okiya…
I just informed Okiya Omtatah he says
“watapambana na miguu kumi na nane huko milimani”
Road safety is paramount. We…
Road safety is paramount. We’ve lost a lot of our people to road accidents. But because we do not manufacture our own vehicles locally, such strident measures should be employed after a definitive demonstration that the overwhelming number of road accidents are caused by second hand vehicles, and also that, such accidents are solely as a result of the vehicle being second hand and not any other factor such as drank driver, another vehicle or unsafe roads. The down side here is that, certain foreign vehicle dealers may be trying to close down second hand market in order to gain monopoly. It must be remembered that a lot of small business people and farmers can afford a second hand vehicle and not a new one. Besides, don’t these vehicles last for ten, twenty years or more still running fine? How then is an eight year old second hand vehicle prohibited? We should stop junk vehicles coming to our country but not all the vehicles.
I have to assume that this…
I have to assume that this is based on a reliable study. My point being, even if you import new buses ect…, they are going to age. After 5 years what do we do with this”old” buses that were bought new before?
To me, I think that,regular inspection for any public transportation vehicle to acertain its safely,and “road worthiness would to along way is assuring public safely than limiting the”age” of importation.That is in addition to making sure that the drivers are certified.
Further, unless we curb corruption in transportation sector,we shall not have taken amile stone achievement toward safe…