Matatu owners link road carnage to police negligence

 Matatu Owners Association chairman Simon Kimutai supports the National Safety Transport Authority [NTSA] Crackdown of Private Vehicles after presenting an assortment of gifts to brook school for the Deaf and Autistic Children on January 01 2015. | PHOTO | ROBERT NGUGI |

What you need to know:

  • The Matatu Owners Association has accused the traffic law enforcers of negligence over the increased road carnage.
  • Speaking at a press conference, the chairman Simon Kimutai MOA  said that the National Transport and Safety Authority vested with the mandate of registering and deregistering vehicles depend and the  police who inspect vehicles that are plying these routes are to blame.
  • He said that the sector is highly exploited by police officers, county government and regular police officers and calling upon the end of harassment and provide a conducive environment to carry out business.

NEGLIGENCE

The Matatu Owners Association has accused the traffic law enforcers of negligence over the increased road carnage.

Speaking at a press conference, the chairman Simon Kimutai MOA  said that the National Transport and Safety Authority vested with the mandate of registering and deregistering vehicles depend and the  police who inspect vehicles that are plying these routes are to blame.

Mr Kimutai said that the traffic department has set up multiple road blocks especially in the Nairobi-Nakuru highway but that notwithstanding the accidents have become rampant in the route since they  have become cash collection points.

ACCIDENT

“We have several road blocks on the road starting from Kabete, Kikuyu, Uplands, Naivasha and Gilgil posing why the matatu with legible writing on its body passed through the wrong route later causing the Soysambu accident which left 19 people dead on Saturday,” he said.

Mr Kimutai says the matatu owners are seeing laxity among the law enforcers as most are compromised.

He said that the sector is highly exploited by police officers, county government and regular police officers and called upon the end of harassment and provision of a conducive environment to carry out business.

ACCOUNTABLE

“The roads and highways operate a cash collection point other than inspection points,” lamented Mr Kimutai.

He called for speedy investigations into the Saturday accident and the officials manning the highway that day be held accountable since they were irresponsible and negligent.

However, Mr Kimutai said that they will not entirely blame the regulatory authority as MOA is cognizant to the fact that the industry has some rogue matatu drivers and conductors.

They have called upon the government to form a training centre that will mandate all drivers and conductors to undergo rigorous training  at the National Youth Service so that rogue drivers and conductors can be scrapped from the industry.