Mombasa matatus warned over illegal fare hikes

Commuters in Mombasa County have been asked to report and 'arrest' any matatu operators who overcharge them.

Mombasa County Executive for Transport and Infrastructure Mohamed Abbas Wednesday told reporters that the illegal fare hikes by matatus operators witnessed in the last few weeks have to stop.

“We have come up with a way forward after deliberations with stakeholders in the public transport service industry. Starting from April 25, 2014 all saccos will be obligated to display a fare list in their matatus for various routes failure to which they will be arrested,” Mr Abbas said.

He said that since the enforcement of the new traffic regulations by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the Ministry of Transport, matatu operators took advantage of poor Kenyans by hiking the fares by more than 100 per cent.

Mr Abbas said the county government was in full support of the new rules. He said that the initiative taken by the national government was meant to secure the lives of Kenyans.

HOTLINE NUMBERS

“We want to people of Mombasa to call our hotline numbers 0707911911, 0775911911, 0788911911, and 0756911911 to report such operators.

Together with the county inspectorate, traffic marshals and the police we will ensure that the culprits are arrested,” he affirmed.

He urged the residents to exercise their rights and arrest rogue drivers and their touts who charge them more than is required.

He emphasised that the Matatu Welfare Association and the Matatu Owners Association were to meet later in the day to come up with agreed fares for various routes.

MWA chairman Sammy Gitau said that once the fares are listed, no operator will be allowed to inflate the fares.

He termed the abnormal adjustment of fares as a calamity caused by the compliance issue.

“Adjustment of fares is skewed, the moment fares are listed there will be no double pricing. Those found overcharging commuters after the fares are listed should be arrested,” he said.

NO TOUTING

Mr Abbas insisted the county government was also going to take action against touting at bus termini as this was illegal.

“Touting is an offense and we will arrest those involved because they are the source of many vices in the city,” he reiterated.

Regional Traffic Commandant Martin Kariuki assured the residents that the rules will be followed and those who will not comply will face the law.

He said touting was a notorious practice in areas of Kisauni, Likoni, Mikindani, Bamburi Mwisho, Shanzu, Port Reitz, Mariakani and that the OCPD had instructions to arrest those found touting.

“We have serious touting problems in these areas and we have conducted crackdowns. We arrest them on a daily basis and action against them is being taken so we don’t have to worry about them,” Mr Kariuki said.

He said the enforcing of fare lists will make it easy for traffic officers to have grounds to charge conductors for overcharging which he termed as a criminal offense.

CITY BUSES

On whether the county government had other options in solving the transport crisis in the region, Mr Abbas said that the county has plans of bringing buses to the city.

“Right now as a county we are looking into ways of coming up with our own county buses, we also have other stakeholders from Germany and Japan who are willing to invest in a commuter rail system to help the residents of Mombasa,” Abbas said.

He said that they were also looking at the water transport system as a viable option to ease traffic and save time for the residents who are moving from one point to another.

He added that the county government had already done a feasibility studies on the same and had singled out the English Point Marina in Mkomani as an economically viable channel for water transport.

On Monday, Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa warned all matatu operators against inflating travel costs within the county.

He noted that many of the coastal residents have had to walk to work since April 1, 2014 due fare hikes.