Crisis looms as compliance deadline approaches
The county is facing a public transport crisis as new road safety laws come into effect on April 1.
Matatu Welfare Association Chairman Dickson Mbugua said only 15 per cent of vehicle owners had complied with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) rules by Monday last week.
“We are worried because there were only 5,000 vehicles that had complied,” Mr Mbugua told NairobiNews.
The rules include acquiring licence for night travel to control road accidents. Vehicle owners must employ two drivers, each of whom should not drive for more than eight hours in any shift.
Cargo carriers on PSVs are also banned — a big blow to business.
If the deadline was not pushed forward for another three months, said Mr Mbugua, there would be a transport crisis.
“It is almost impossible for all PSVs to have complied by March 31. We expect that only a few vehicles will operate after the deadline,” he added.
Vehicle owners may take longer to have all their staff acquire relevant documents such as the NSSF and NHIF registration as stipulated in the new rules, he said.
Stakeholders were hoping to meet with Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau before the end of the week to discuss the deadline, said Mr Mbugua.