NTSA cautions passengers against using unregistered PSV's

Pedestrians on a zebra-crossing opposite Airtel Headquarters on Mombasa Road. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has cautioned passengers against boarding private vehicles that operate as Public Service vehicles on various roads in the country.

This comes at the backdrop of the festive season, which is traditionally known to be a peak season for the transport sector.

According to the authority, it is challenging to track private vehicles when the need arises because they are not registered in its database.

Speaking in Nairobi on Friday, December 1, NTSA Program Director Samuel Musumba also affirmed that a recent crackdown order by Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen of such vehicles has started.

"The reports we are receiving is that the vehicles have been taken off the roads the operators are hiding them," Musumba noted

He added that the operation is in collaboration with NTSA, National Police, and other relevant agencies and they aim to rogue out illegal PSVs on the roads.

The director said in some instances, they have received reports that passengers don't arrive at their destinations or are robbed on the way in some of the private vehicles acting as PSVs.

"Every vehicle operating under certain PSV saccos or companies have fixed writings that indicate route details and useful information, don't fall for the tricksters," Musumba warned.

"From January to now, we have already recorded up to 3800 deaths on these roads, if we compare these numbers with last year, it's a bit lower with about a negative six percent," he added.

A day before, Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen had issued an order, directing the authority to crack down on unregistered vehicles operating as PSVs.