Matatu owners want involvement in city decongestion

Matatu operators now want the government to involve them in the plan to phase out the 14 seater matatus as part of measures to decongest Nairobi.

Under their umbrella body, Matatu Owners Association (MOA), they expressed concerns over what they termed as being sidelined by the government as it plans to implement the decongestion strategy.

MOA national coordinator Albert Karagacha said the sector is scaring at a crisis as many employees may lose their jobs if the strategy is not implemented in consultation with stakeholders.

“We are ready to partner with the government in enacting the new policy to phase out the 14-seater matatus. We, however, call for the involvement of all concerned parties so that the policy succeeds,” he said.

Karagacha also expressed displeasure with traffic officers arguing that they contribute to increased cases of road carnage by soliciting for bribes from the matatu operators.

Last year, the Ministry of Transport confirmed that plans of facing out 14-seater matatus was still intact and would eventually be implemented.

According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), through a  legal notice, any Public Service Vehicle (PSV) with  a capacity of less than 25 passengers will not get a licence renewal.