A matatu Sacco in Nairobi has had to take serious corrective measures after one of their conductors was captured on video dangling dangerously on a moving matatu.
The video showed the tout who is still on the run, hanging dangerously on the door of the vehicle, and performing very dangerous stunts on Thika Superhighway; even stepping on the windows of an adjacent matatu as they overtook them.
After the incident, police identified the matatu as belonging to ATS Sacco whose fleet of vehicles ply the Dandora route, and which was impounded by police and several members arrested.
The manager of the fleet and the driver of the matatu, in an interview with Sikika Road Safety CEO Daniel Kiilu on Wednesday, March 3, said the incident was regrettable.
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The driver of the matatu at the time, who only identified himself as Ben, expressed his regret over the incident.
"I saw what was happening through the side mirror, but I could not stop or move away, lest I ended up causing him to slip and fall while he was hanging," he explained.
The driver added that when he got to a place where could stop, he confronted the conductor on his behaviour and advised him to stay inside.
After the video went viral, the driver and the manager of the fleet were arrested and arraigned in court over the incident.
They revealed that the conductor who was filmed doing the dangerous stunt ran away, and they were still trying to track him down with the help of the police.
The driver and the manager were fined Ksh20,000 and Ksh30,000 respectively.
The fleet manager explained that they had taken measures as a Sacco to ensure their crew observes basic safety rules while making trips.
"If I get complaints about a certain driver from a number of customers, I take action, and even suspend them for a couple of weeks," he stated.
The Sacco manager also noted that they held regular trainings with NTSA for their drivers to refresh their defensive driving skills as well.
