Kitui boda boda operators underwent the county-sponsored training in partnership with the National Transport and Safety Authority. [File, Standard]
More than 700 boda boda operators in Kitui County on Wednesday graduated from a county sponsored training programme and received smart driving licences aimed at improving road safety and compliance with traffic regulations.
Governor Julius Malombe presented the smart licences to the 783 operators at Kefri grounds and said that his administration was intensifying efforts to professionalise the fast growing transport sector.
The riders, drawn from all the 40 wards in Kitui County, underwent the training in partnership with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
Governor Malombe said that the programme covered traffic laws, road safety, customer care, personal health, medical fitness and traffic compliance before the operators qualified for the licences.
Malombe noted that despite the sector's rapid growth, only 2,900 out of the county's 13,909 registered boda boda operators are licensed, a gap he said calls for sustained training and licensing.
"We are building a disciplined, professional and responsible boda boda sector. This licence is not just a legal requirement. It is a symbol of responsibility and public trust," the governor told the operators.
He urged the riders to observe traffic rules, avoid reckless riding and overloading as well as substance abuse.