Owners of public service vehicles have accused the transport regulator of failing to renew the licences of 14-seater matatus, vowing not to get them off the road unless the President issues the order.
Matatu Owners Association chairman Simon Kimutai said that the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) had by Monday blocked owners of 14-seaters from accessing the portal used by operators to apply for or renew their road licences after their annual inspection. “We want NTSA to reinstate the issuance of licences to 14-seaters who have complied without much noise,” Mr Kimutai told reporters in Nairobi on Monday.
INVOLVING CARTELS
Meanwhile, 24 matatu saccos have moved to court seeking to compel the government to continue licensing the 14-seater matatus.
In a petition filed in the High Court, the saccos including Latema, Nzigi, Hannover Trans Ltd and Mariba, oppose plans by the government to phase out the 14-seaters.
Through lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui, the saccos also accuse the government of involving people they believe to be ‘cartels’ in the planned management of the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) to lock out genuine matatu owners. They argued that the government has not put in place a legislative framework for the BRT.
