Seven PSV firms given night operation licences

Nairobi, Kenya: Seven Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) companies have been licensed to operate at night.

The firms operating 338 vehicles have so far been licensed to operate between 9pm and 6am after complying with the new set regulations.

The regulations set by the Ministry of Transport and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) required that all PSVs operating within a radius of more than 60km fulfill night time conditions.

These included the certification of the night time drivers to ensure they are medically fit, operation of a fleet management system so as to be able to track the vehicles, employment of two drivers and also operation of a first aid assistance system in the event of an accident, so as to be able to operate.

The companies that have complied include Modern Coast, Easy Coach, Mash, Guardian, Transline, North Rift Shuttle and Eldoret Sacco.

Speaking Monday during a meeting held by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport Michael Kamau and the PSV owners from the seven companies, the CS noted that there has been misconception that the Government banned night travel for matatus as this was not so.

“What the Government did was to impose conditions that will improve the safety of passengers during the night,” said the CS.

Reduce fatalities

He further added that since the regulations were imposed on night PSV operators, the number of road fatalities had declined by 20 per cent as by the May 31 as compared to the same period last year.

“Some of the key achievements have been the reduction of PSV passenger fatalities by approximately 49 per cent. Without these interventions we would now be talking of more fatalities as the numbers, if unchecked, always go up,” said Kamau.

The NTSA Director General Francis Meja said the authority was willing to give the support to all operators in attaining the levels of compliance required.

Operators who had complied were being issued with a special licence and details of their buses being issued to the police for identification purposes.

To ensure that those operating have been licensed the NTSA said they would intensify the night time patrols on all major highways in collaboration with the police.