Saccos flouting CBD matatu limit order face Sh30,000 fine
City Hall says vehicles that flout the new directive limiting each sacco to two matatus in the CBD face fines of up to Sh30,000. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Nairobi County operations director Peter Mbaya has vowed to implement the order that was issued last Monday despite a slow start.
Mr Mbaya singled out matatus that use Ronald Ngala stage and Kenya Mpya Sacco as the most notorious in disregarding the directive but lauded Ummoiner Sacco.
City Hall has said the crackdown on public service vehicles (PSVs) flouting the two vehicles per sacco directive will continue despite a slow start.
Nairobi County operations director Peter Mbaya said the government has already impounded at least 30 non-compliant vehicles in the clampdown in the Central Business District (CBD) since the order was issued on Monday last week.
“It has not flopped. It is only that some saccos are not keen to obey the order but we are still enforcing the directive,” said Mr Mbaya.
The county official singled out matatus that use Ronald Ngala stage and Kenya Mpya Sacco as the most notorious in disregarding the directive but lauded Ummoiner Sacco.
“We are optimistic that the saccos will eventually obey our orders as we have most of their chairmen who are already supportive of the directive and working hard to see their staff obey the order,” he said.
HEFTY FINES
The director said impounded matatus will part with fines ranging between Sh15,000 and Sh30,000.
“When they are taken to our yard one pays Sh15,000. For overnight stay, one has to pay Sh25,000 before 12pm but thereafter the fine shoots to Sh30,000,” said Mr Mbaya.
However, the new order faces resistance from Matatu Owners Association (Moa) who accused the county government hasty implementation of the directive.
The association said it was not consulted when the policy was formulated and fears it will adversely affect their businesses.
“It is important that the county government realises that without us even getting revenue will be impossible and the best thing is to partner with us,” said Moa chairman Simon Kimutai.
ABORTED POLICIES
But this is not the first time the county has tried to effect similar orders in the city centre.
In May this year, the county started a similar plan which was to affect over 30,000 vehicles aimed at decongesting the city and ending perennial traffic snarl-up in the city centre.
The matatu saccos were to look for their own holding spaces as the county provision is to provide picking and dropping spots. The order was implemented but the county backtracked after facing resistance from the matatu owners.
In September last year, City Hall made announced it will not allow PSVs into the city centre in another aborted move to decongest the city.
