Matatu owners call for consultation over NYS buses

One of the Matatu stages in Nairobi CBD

Matatu operators have said it was unfair for the State to roll out the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) when they had invested millions of shillings to buy 33-seater vehicles.

Association of Matatu Operators (AMO) Secretary General Kenedy Ochieng said the planned implementation of BRT was rushed and stakeholders were not involved.

“We have invested heavily in the industry, the government needed to have included us in making this better, we welcome the BRTs but we want them to collect passengers at designated areas and operate only in the Central Business District,” said Mr Ochieng.

He further said most matatu owners were servicing loans and the transport model will disadvantage them. Last week, the government through Ministry of Roads started marking roads that will be used strictly by BRTs.

This came after the unveiling of the National Youth Service (NYS) buses to cushion passengers against high fares.

The 27 buses charge passengers Sh20 from Kibera, Githurai, Mwiki, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Dandora, Kariobangi and Kawangware to the CBD.

Matatu operators have questioned whether the commuter licence will be applicable to the NYS buses.

Same fate

AMO chair Jimal Ibrahim said just like the cashless system, which failed to take off two years ago the NYS buses shall suffer the same fate for lack of proper implementation.

“We were asked to implement this system and until today those machines are in our offices,” said Ibrahim. He said there are far bigger problems like impassable roads which need to be fixed to improve the transport sector.

“The government should have instead directed the resources to maintaining the city roads that are deplorable like the Mwiki, Juja and Komarok roads,” he said. He added that the NYS buses will have unfair advantage over the matatus whose operators have to pay for TLB licences, high fuel costs and county council tickets.

“NYS buses pay for fuel at a subsidized fee of around Sh43, they do not pay insurance nor do they pay for badges from National Transport and Safety Authority,” he said. Ibrahim noted that matatus could have charged cheaper fares if they did not pay Sh 1,000 for insurance.

“Public Service Vehicles are required to have insurance for all the maximum permissible passengers,” he said. NYS Director General Richard Ndubai however said they pay insurance for the buses.

In regard to the level playing ground which most stakeholders have requested, he said they are not in competition with matatus. “We are about public service and meeting needs of Kenyans not met by other sectors.

Further, the buses only operate from Monday to Friday during rush hour,” he said.

[Jacob Ng’etich]