The government and the Chinese Company running the Expressway, Moja Expressway, seem to be reading from different scripts when it comes to the issue of Public Service Vehicles (PSVs), commonly referred to as matatus, using the Ksh88 billion elevated road.
Super Metro Sacco - one of the leading PSV operators in the city - is caught up in this confusion and has expressed its frustration after the government went back on a directive allowing PSVs on the road.
Nelson Mwangi, the chairman of Super Metro, stated that they moved to make sure that their vehicles have complied with all the requirements to use the country's newest road.
"We have made sure that all our vehicles meet all the required standards to operate on the road, and yet only one out of the 5 accidents that occurred along the expressway involved a PSV. We feel that its unfair from the government to do this," Mwangi stated.
Citizen TV reported that Transport Cabinet Secretary, James Macharia, stated that the government had deployed police officers to crack down on PSVs caught using the road.
He noted that the government wants to discourage matatus from the road amid concerns about safety and due to the rogue nature of most PSV drivers.
This leaves the PSV operators in a state of confusion as they are allowed to use the road by its operator, Moja Expressway Company, while they risk being arrested by police officers deployed by the Ministry of Transport.
The media house further quoted a source who disclosed that Moja Expressway was in favour of allowing matatus to use the road since they pay much more compared to smaller vehicles.
A quick search showed that PSVs using the Expressway pay Ksh1,200 since they make frequent trips on the road.
In an exclusive interview with Kenyans.co.ke on Monday, July 18, Moja Expressway Head of Public Relations explained that the ban on matatus was indefinite and depended on how quickly the matatu Saccos would comply with the government directive.
All Saccos who wanted to use the road were required to seek clearance certificates from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), proving that all their vehicles are roadworthy.
According to the official, those matatu operators spotted on the highway had already received the green light to resume operations on the elevated highway.
