NTSA Building Center to Monitor Matatus During Journey

Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja on Thursday revealed a comprehensive plan to streamline public transportation in Nairobi County.

This announcement was made shortly after a meeting with the officials from the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA).

Principal to his plan is the establishment of a monitoring centre that will ensure Public Service Vehicles (PSV) owners follow a series of rules also set during the meeting.

“Through this center, we will ensure that PSVs adhere to regulations and that there is proper order on our roads,” Sakaja said of the monitoring centre.

This move will seek to, among others, regulate matatu operations, and eliminate illegal bus stages.

Other mandates of the monitoring centre will be streamlining pick-up and drop-off points, enforcing speed limits, and ending the practice of overnight parking at bus stages.

“We will soon meet with PSV stakeholders to address issues such as route disorder, parking violations, uniform requirements, and speeding. Order in the sector is non-negotiable,” said Governor Sakaja.

In addition to the monitoring centre for matatus, Sakaja also set some stringent rules for bodaboda riders to ensure compliance in their operations.

He called on the NTSA to ensure that all the riders were registered to a recognised SACCO before they could operate in the city.

“We need a system that ensures accountability in the bodaboda sector. Riders must be registered, affiliated with SACCOs, and their operations well coordinated,” he said.

Sakaja also raised the issue of the barrage of billboards in the capital saying, “We cannot allow billboards to be placed everywhere. There must be regulations to limit their number on specific roads.”

Meanwhile, NTSA Director General George Njao assured the authority’s full support of the recommendations and pledged to collaborate with the county government to achieve their mandate.

“We are committed to ensuring every PSV operates within its designated route to streamline traffic and enhance passenger safety,” Njao said.