Bomet police seize private cars operating as matatus

Police in Bomet County have started cracking down on personal cars operating as public service vehicles.

In the last two days, 14 operators of such vehicles on the Mulot-Longisa-Bomet-Kaplong higway and the Silibwet-Tenwek-Mogogosiek road have been arrested by traffic police officers.

The exercise comes as indiscipline in the matatu industry in the region rises: there is an escalation in flouting of traffic rules and harassment of passengers.

"Owners of the Toyota Probox vehicles have resumed operations in some of the routes, an indication that enforcement of traffic rules has been relaxed. We have increased surveillance on various routes and arrested eight of them on Wednesday. They have since been charged in court," Bomet Central Sub-County Commander Geoffrey Walumbe said.

ENFORCE RULES
Six other vehicles were impounded during operations in various routes.

Mr Walumbe said road traffic guidelines must be enforced without compromise. "All the traffic rules will be enforced, however long it takes. The law will catch up with those flouting it. We are also appealing to members of the public and stakeholders to support the operations so as to reduce accidents and ensure sanity prevails," he said.

The county's disaster management department indicates that more than 26 road crashes have been reported in the region in the last one month, with more than six people dying and 48 sustaining injuries.

FATALITIES

Four people died two weeks ago on Silibwet-Mugango road when a matatu rolled and landed in a ditch.

"There has been a sharp rise in road accidents involving matatus, lorries, boda-boda and private vehicles in the region in the last one month," Mr David Mutai, the head of the disaster management unit, said.

Most of the accidents are concentrated at Chebole, Kapkwen, Mutarakwa, Kibisorwet and Kamureito areas along the Mulot-Kaplong highway.

Commuters have complained that there are no road signs on the highway, which facilitates crash incidents.