KAA now withdraws airport bus service
Kenya Airports Authority has withdrawn the services of controversial specialised buses used to ferry travellers from aircraft to terminals.
The authority has called in Kenya Airways to offer the service.
This follows public protest by President Uhuru Kenyatta a fortnight ago over the value of the bus leasing contract.
KQ CONFIRMS TAKEOVER
Kenya Airways confirmed Friday that KAA has asked it to offer the apron bus services. The standard charge for such services is based on each trip a bus makes.
“We have been asked to offer the service similar to other requests KAA makes. For instance, when there was a fire incident. We are offering the service but the reasons for this decision is KAA’s,” said Kenya Airways.
KAA had contracted a private company Relief and Mission Ltd to buy the buses and offer the service.
The company was financed by the Kenya Commercial Bank and is supposed to run for eight years.
It turns out that the company was charging $60 per trip and according to KAA documents, this cost should be passed on to airlines that use the service.
HALT CONTRACT
After the President raised the question of why KAA was spending Sh11 million on the five buses every month, the parastatal decided to halt the contract.
In place of that service, they have now contracted Kenya Airways to offer the service.
Kenya Airways has previously offered the buses to KAA at a cost of $50 a trip but an airline official could not immediately confirm how much the service was costing currently.
As matters stand, Relief and Mission Ltd is stuck with its buses, lying idle at the airport, since they’re specialised, IATA certified and cannot be used for any other purpose.
It remains to be seen what the legal consequences of cancelling the contract would be since it will load obligations on KAA that may amount to heavy penalties in the future.
SOURCE: Daily Nation