City matatus threaten go-slow in row over parking charges

Public transport in Nairobi could be paralysed starting Thursday as matatu operators are headed for a showdown with City Hall over seasonal parking charges.

This comes after the Matatu Association of Kenya threatened to down tools following the collapse of talks with City Hall over the proposed increased seasonal parking fees.

According to City Hall, a 14-seater matatu is supposed to pay Sh5,000 per month, Sh14,000 for three months, Sh26,000 for six months and Sh52,000 for a whole year.

MINI-BUSES

On the other hand, mini-buses carrying between 14 and 42 passengers are expected to pay Sh8,000 per month or Sh72,000 annually.

Buses with a capacity of between 43 and 62 passengers will part with Sh10,000 per month or Sh86,000 for a year’s parking ticket.

But the matatu operators are opposed to the new charges.

They want the charges to be lowered to Sh3,650 per month for a 14-seater matatu, Sh5,250 per month for a 32-seater mini-bus and Sh7,250 a month for buses carrying over 43 passengers, fees that they have been paying since 2014.

The association’s National Coordinator Albert Karakacha told the Nation that talks with City Hall officials bore no fruit as the two parties failed to agree.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

He stated that the county government refused to lower the parking fees.

“There was no public participation when increasing the parking fees for matatus in the city. In fact, Nairobi matatu saccos pay the highest parking fees compared to Kiambu, Machakos and other areas. It is not sensible to increase parking fees in this economy that is currently doing badly,” said Mr Karakacha.

On Wednesday, transport was briefly disrupted in Nairobi in the afternoon after various matatu saccos downed their tools in protest over the increase in parking fees.

STRANDED

Commuters were left stranded in several parts of the city, including the Kencom stage, following the disruption.

“As an association, we have agreed that we will not pay for parking until we go back to the old rates. If they do not agree, we will pull all our vehicles off the roads and we will not operate from tomorrow (Thursday).

“The officials at City Hall have not spoken to us again and that is why from tomorrow, no vehicle will be on the road until we agree,” Mr Karakacha added.

NO CHANGE

Contacted, Nairobi County Director of Parking Services Tom Tinega maintained that they will continue levying the new charges as spelt out in the Nairobi County Finance Act, 2019 and that they will not be entering into any agreement with the matatu operators on any issue that is not supported by law.

“They do not want to pay seasonal parking tickets as in the law but (they want to pay the) ones that they are coming up with. What will we use to justify or base the charges on? There must be a document which is within the law,” said Mr Tinega.

Early this month, Matatu Owners Association Chairman Simon Kimutai said they were not consulted before the increment of the seasonal parking fees was effected and, hence, they will not be party to a process that they were not involved in.

“We ask our members not to pay until the matter is settled. The fees we are currently paying are more than enough and we are ready for mass action in case any of our members is arrested by the county government,” said Mr Kimutai.