The Matatu Owners Association urges govt to adjust night ban time for PSVs until midnight,announces its plan to reduce accidents
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BY JOHN WERU,NAIROBI,4TH JAN,2018-The Matatu Owners Association (MOA) has has urged the government to adjust the time until midnight to avoid hurting investors.“We are not opposed to the ban but we want it to be adjusted to midnight and not 7pm and also operators be allowed to start their journey at 5am in the morning.
Operators are now losing half of their daily revenue because the trips have been cut into half,” said Mr Kimutai.Addressing the press in Nairobi, on Thursday MOA Chairman Simon Kimutai also spelt out plans for self regulations and recommendations it wants implemented to reduce road accidents.
Among the recommendations issued by the Association include asking all Sacco’s to have command centers in a bid to monitor its vehicles round the clock and always confirm change of its drivers.
MOA further admitted being behind most of road accidents witnessed in the country, noting that most accidents are as a result of human error.
MOA also wants land be set at the Sachangwan black spot to build rest rooms for drivers before descending downhill and that Saccos and bus companies employ more inspectors along their routes of operation.
According to Mr. Kimutai the inspectors inspect the condition of the vehicles, and know how it was driven.
The Association is also recommending that Saccos have their own garage for car inspection for vehicles travelling over 200 kilometres, that the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) have a research department and the putting up of a training centre for PSV drivers by the ministry.
They added that PSVs should have a diversion at Kibunja area and join the highway after Salgaa to avoid the hilly stretch notorious for accidents.
He also acknowledged bribery on the roads as a set back to the implementation of the existing rules, matatu owners are calling on passengers to be alert and call out rogue drivers. This they hope will provide remedy on the roads even as NTSA statistics indicate that 21 people died on Kenyan roads between the 1st and 2nd of January this yea