Matatu Saccos will be required to get permits for drivers and conductors as the government tightens rules to instill discipline in the public transport industry. Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary Eng. Michael Kamau says the move would make them directly responsible for their crew’s conduct.
This is after crews of two Saccos were implicated in diffirent incidents where women were stripped naked and sexually assaulted. The alleged perpetrators have since been arrested and charged in court. “To stem this unbecoming behaviour we have decided that moving forward Saccos will be applying for licences for their workers thereby taking full responsibility so that if any cases are reported, they are held liable,” he said.
He spoke in the ministry offices when he presided over the KCB cash-lite Pepea transit card activation drive among civil servants only a week after the card was launched. Eventhough most Saccos have not complied with the December 1 deadline for full switch to a cashless system, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said it would soon require proof of compliance with the requirement before registering any new vehicle.
“There is no turning back on this. Soon any operator wishing to register his vehicle will have to show us that he has installed a cashless system before a licence is issued,” said NTSA Director General Meja Mwangi.
The Cabinet Secretary urged matutu owners to stop fighting the system since they stood to reap the most benefits. “As the collections will be going directly to their accounts, they’ll determine their turnover and therefore their credit rating to enable them secure credit with ease,” said Meja Mwangi.
KCB said it had issued more than 100,000 Pepea cards to commuters country-wide since the launch. It is targeting one million cards by mid-January 2015.
