A countrywide crisis is looming should matatu operators make good of their threat to down tools. The federation of the public transport sector has already issued a nationwide strike notice and warned the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
Addressing the media on Tuesday Monday, March 14, the federation warned NTSA to stop all unwarranted traffic checks and called on all their members to withdraw their vehicles from the roads.
The federation made it clear that failure by the operator to heed their demands, their countrywide strike would be staged from Wednesday, March 16.
The operators blamed the regulator for unwarranted compliance checks forcing operators to part with between Ksh5,000 and Ksh20,000.
The decision to issue a strike notice follows a series of negotiations between the operators and NTSA but failed to strike a deal to avert the looming strike, which could paralyze operations in the crucial sector.
Matatu operators further noted that the sector has not fully recovered from the effects of the pandemic, stating that the NTSA crackdown is slowing its comeback process.
"We demand that govt intervenes on this matter and stops its officials from harassing and extorting money from our members forthwith, failure to which we shall on our PSV operators from the country, withdraw their vehicles from the road countrywide with effect from Wednesday, March, 16," the federation stated.
The strike notice comes just days after Matatu Owners Association threatened to call for a nationwide strike. The chairperson of the association, Simon Kimutai. also called out NTSA for unwarranted compliance checks affecting the matatu sector.
“A crackdown is a failure by law enforcement to maintain compliance. It is in bad taste and will lead to loss of business,” Kiutai remarked.
“We feel that whereas the intention of the senior managers is good, the enforcers on the ground are there to make money through intimidation and utter demand for bribes. At the moment, we have not withdrawn our vehicles from the road but if the situation persists, we will decide if to enter into a grand halt,” Matatu Welfare Association chairman Dickson Mbugua noted.
The government announced a major countrywide crackdown starting February 28 noting that the exercise was aimed addressing the challenges leading to road road carnage and saving lives, after a spike in the number of accidents.
The operation was also meant to promote efficient and sustainable enforcement and increasing compliance under provisions of the Traffic Act and PSV Regulations.
