Super Metro Chief Executive Officer Nelson Nduki has confirmed that disciplinary action is awaiting a driver and conductor whose bus was nabbed by officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) during a Sunday morning crackdown.
Officials from the authority told Kenyans.co.ke that a number of individuals, especially excess passengers, had been arrested during a crackdown along Thika Superhighway. One of the affected Saccos is Super Metro.
While confirming that he was not privy to the Sunday arrest, Nduki confirmed the Sacco maintains records of the badly-behaving crew who are subjected to disciplinary committee hearings every Friday.
"Even if I am not aware of this incident because I was in church the whole day, we don't entertain excess passengers in our vehicles completely and that is known. We have inspectors on all our roads who pry to ensure that there is no Super Metro vehicle carrying excess passengers," he stated.
"What happens is that we have a panel that sits every Friday to discipline those drivers and conductors who have been caught for any indiscipline case. For this one, whether it was NTSA or not, on our forums, there is always a report on which vehicle has been carrying excess passengers."
Nduki explained that after the disciplinary hearing, if a crew member is found guilty of carrying two excess passengers, they are suspended for a month while those carrying an excess of four passengers risk being expelled from the company.
"For that case, we will take action against the conductor and the driver. We look at the kind of excess. If it is two passengers, we always suspend the conductor for about a month. If it exceeds four passengers, we even expel the conductor from our company," he added.
When asked whether the company will facilitate the release of passengers already behind bars, the CEO explained that the passengers should not have boarded the vehicle knowing it was full.
"We do not allow excess passengers in our vehicles and the passengers themselves are not allowed to board a vehicle that is already full. That is going against the traffic rules. When you get into the vehicle and realise it is full, you are supposed to get out. There is nothing we can do for them," he reiterated.
"We ask all our customers not to be excess passengers. We have hotline numbers so that the passengers can report on any indiscipline cases."
In an earlier statement, NTSA explained that the passengers were being detained for boarding a full bus.
NTSA's principal communication officer Anthony Nyongesa explained that some of the vehicles without proper documents including inspection and road service licenses (RSL) were impounded with number plates removed.
"This is a routine exercise that is taking place across the country. We want to ensure every Kenyan is safe on the road," he stated.
On Saturday evening, a number of drunk drivers that were caught unaware were nabbed and subjected to the alcoblow test.
Kenya Power Announces Nationwide Blackout Breaking News
