Super Metro distances itself from blame over Nairobi Expressway accident

The Super Metro Sacco management has broken its silence regarding the Wednesday accident at the entrance of the Nairobi Expressway in Westlands, where one of its buses overturned leaving passengers on board injured.

The company, whose 33-seater matatus ply various areas around the capital, absolved itself from blame saying the accident was not caused by its bus but by another speeding vehicle.

In a statement to newsrooms on Thursday, the Super Metro management blamed the carelessness of the other motorist which they say led their matatu driver to clash while trying to avoid a direct collision.

“Yesterday one of our fleets hit a guard rail while evading hitting another personal vehicle (Prado) which was speedy from Brokeside Dr, Nairobi as it tried to join the Expressway from the opposite direction leading to the accident,” the company said in a statement post on Facebook.

“Several passengers were left with scores of injuries including the conductor and were rushed to the hospital. The information is with the Kenya Police, NTSA, the Expressway CCTV and KENHA.”

At the same time, the management regretted the incident as it implored motorists and other road users to stay alert in order to curb road accidents.

 “Nothing is of greater importance that the conservation of human life. Kindly as we all use our roads, always put in mind that caution is the parent of safety. The Key to Safety Is in your Hands,” noted the statement.

“To the victims, you are in our thoughts and prayers. May God grant you a speedy recovery.”

This comes a day after the government temporarily banned commercial passenger vehicles from using the Nairobi Expressway.

The ban followed what the Ministry of Transport termed as isolated safety incidents and road crashes witnessed on the expressway.

“Since the Nairobi Expressway was opened to the public, a number of traffic accidents and incidents involving commercial passenger vehicles have occurred on the expressway," Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said.

"They have necessitated an investigation into the cause of these accidents and incidents so that appropriate safety interventions can be developed and ensure that commercial passenger vehicles use the expressway safely.”