Public transport operators now want county governments to set up adequate parking lots to ease their operations and reduce the time spent between trips.
The motorists expressed their reservations during a road safety sensitisation forum on Wednesday, May 21, which was also attended by officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
Addressing the press in Mombasa County, the transport operators lamented limited parking spaces in most counties, claiming that the situation forced them to park along roads.
To address the matter, the drivers called on the county governments to work jointly with the national government to ensure adequate parking spaces to avoid overcrowding and congestion in the available parks.
"Most of the time when I want to park my bus, I always find that there is another bus that has already been parked there, so I think this is a situation that needs to be addressed urgently," said a motorist.
"The national and county governments should look into this issue, particularly in cities, so that each city gets a structure of development because where we are headed, we don't need to have such challenges," the driver added.
For instance, in Mombasa County, the drivers who operate within the city called on the County Governor, Abdulswamad Nassir, to intervene and construct additional parking lots since the ones available were already occupied.
According to them, constructing the new parking spaces would also improve passenger safety and provide convenient resting areas for long-distance travellers.
"We urge the county government to find a better place where we as investors can park our bus and where the passengers can also have a place to rest," said another motorist.
During the forum, the drivers also called on the relevant authorities within the transport sector, including NTSA and the National Police Service, to ensure strict adherence to traffic rules to curb road carnage.
The motorists highlighted the Nairobi-Mombasa and the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mombasa highways among the most dangerous routes, which are known for grisly road carnages.
In the meeting, the stakeholders highlighted ignorance among drivers as the main cause of the road incidents; drivers were thus urged to be cautious and follow traffic regulations.
"We have had talks with NTSA and the traffic police; we have trained the drivers, and we noticed that what caused most carnage is ignorance among the drivers," said a bus owner.
