The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) report indicated that the number of newly licensed Public Service Vehicles (PSV) by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) dropped by nearly half in 2022 as compared to 2021.
In the report dated Wednesday, May 3, KNBS indicated that the total number dropped from 55,355 in 2021 to 35,897 in 2022, marking a 35.2 per cent decrease nationwide.
The most affected category was the 14-seater matatus whose figure dropped by 61.5 per cent to 12,229 in 2022. That was more than half as recorded in 2021 when NTSA licensed 31,737 14-seater matatus.
According to KNBS, the registration of 14-seater matatus took a nosedive beginning 2018, pointing at reduced investments in that sector. In Nairobi, for instance, most routes were dominated by minibusses and big buses.
In the same period, the number of PSV licenses issued to minibusses (15-33 seater) decreased from 11,919 in 2021 to 11,699 in 2022.
On the other hand, the number of licensed buses with a sitting capacity of more than 34 passengers increased in 2022, hitting 11,969 from 11,699 in 2021. This indicated an increased demand for big buses across the country, especially for long-distance travel.
"Total individual driving licenses issued increased by 57.0 per cent from 384,899 in 2021 to 604,468 in 2022," KNBS reported.
At the same time, KNBS ranked station wagons as the most preferred car type in the country. Ownership of station wagons in 2022 stood at 55,004.
Only 6,350 salon cars were registered in 2022, while the number of pick-ups registered in the same period hitting 10,901.
Generally, the number of new cars registered in 2022 decreased by 7.6 per cent from 107,499 in 2021 to 99,365 in 2022.
"The total number of newly registered motorcycles declined by 53.5 per cent from 291,553 in 2021 to 135,514 in 2022," the KNBS report added.
