Hundreds opt for trains as matatu crackdown begins - (VIDEO)

As Matatu crackdown intensely kicked off and transport almost paralyzed, Nairobi residents have resorted to using trains.

In the early hours of Monday morning, Matatu operators made good of their threats and kept off the roads causing a serious travel crisis especially in Nairobi.

This has made Nairobi residents opt for trains that usually operate on few routes in Nairobi.

The trains were full of passengers with some of them seen scrambling to board the trains that were available.

There were plans to announce the trains will operate hourly.

Many commuters had shown up unusually early to avoid the anticipated public transport shortage but only a few operators who have complied with the rules were on the roads. 

Interior cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Friday set the record straight on the measures that his ministry is putting to ensure that matatu menace is dealt with once and for all.

Speaking on Friday on the measures to ensure road safety, Matiang’i stated that insurance companies were not doing their work as is required.

“The kind of idiocy and madness we have seen in the insurance sector cannot be allowed to prevail. If I asked you here do you know of any one of these accidents that have taken place recently where the victims have been compensated by any insurance company?” he asked.

Matiang’i regretted, “There is the case we have of the matatu that rolled on Ngong Road where our children, some of them university students lost their limbs. To this day, the case is going on in court. We are not going to carry burdens for anyone.”

The CS and his Transport counterpart James Macharia announced the enforcement of the rules popularly known as Michuki rules as part of efforts to bring sanity in roads.

After the officials announced the enforcement of the law, the Federation of Public Transport Operators declared their members will pull their vehicles off the roads in protest against the new traffic guidelines.