简体中文
Africa
Feature: Kenyans relish safer rides in public buses first time in years
Last Updated: 2018-11-15 11:34 | Xinhua
 Save  Print   E-mail

Commuters in Kenya are currently enjoying safer rides in public buses for the first time in years following a crackdown on vehicles flouting traffic rules.

The police on Monday launched a countrywide crackdown on public buses, commonly known as matatus, to bring sanity in the industry.

The exercise saw transport disrupted across the east African nation, with commuters getting stranded. However, three days later, the tough crackdown has paid off.

In the capital Nairobi, it is unbelievable that commuters are boarding vehicles without being harassed by touts at various termini.

The vehicles are patiently waiting for passengers at designated bus stops, with fares prominently displayed, to avoid exploitation.

Once passengers board, the conductor informs everyone that they should buckle up and ensures they do so before the vehicle starts the journey.

"This is a complete turnaround of the operations in the industry. I have never experienced something like this in years," Jotham Mutie, an investment banker, said on Wednesday.

Mutie, who lives on the east of Nairobi, and commutes daily to the stock brokerage firm in the city center, said the bus conductors are also courteous and are dressed in their maroon uniforms.

Drivers, on the other hand, are dressed in blue uniforms, a scene witnessed nearly a decade ago when the rules were first introduced.

"I boarded vehicles on Tuesday and you could see the transformation even inside the vehicles because the graffiti are gone. Things were not any different on Wednesday," said Mutie.

The matatus had regressed to the culture of carrying excess passengers but all this is no longer there, thanks to the tough measures.

"This crackdown is what we needed. The discipline is back and as passengers, we once feel valued by matatu operators," said Cosmas Ndung'u, who lives in Rongai, on the outskirts of Nairobi.

Most of the buses on the route had graffiti, including on windows, but they were all removed to comply with the laws.

"It was the norm for buses on the route to carry excess passengers but this has now stopped though the fares are a little bit higher due less vehicles on the road," he said, noting they have been constant at 100 shillings (about 1 U.S. dollar).

The rules being enforced include all vehicles must have working seat belts, speed governors and drivers and touts must put on uniforms and each vehicle must have life savers, according to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).

Failure to have lifesavers inside the vehicles attracts a fine of 19.6 while missing seat belts 10 dollars. Anyone who fails to wear seatbelts would part with 5 dollars fine while failure to stop when ordered 100 dollars, said the NTSA.

A survey on several routes in Nairobi, including Jogoo Road and Community, showed operators have largely complied with the traffic rules.

"The only thing we did is fix some faulty seat belts and put dustbin in the vehicle. It did not cost us much but we had no choice," said Vincent Mogaka, a conductor on Kayole route.

He blamed the flouting of traffic rules to corruption and greed among operators.

"Conductors know that they can get away with it if they flout rules through bribery. Again, we also want to make more money by carrying excess passengers but all these wrongs are because of corruption," he said.

Interior cabinet secretary Fred Matiang'i has vowed that police will not relent in enforcing traffic rules.

"We will not back down, if you don't comply keep your vehicle off the road. This should be a way of life in matatu sector because it's crucial and should not be done because the government has said so. People know the rules, please follow," he said on Tuesday.

Henry Wandera, an economics lecturer in Nairobi, said by conforming to the law, matatus operators would make the sector attractive to some people who rely on private transport thus clogging roads.

"The problem, however, is that this compliance may be short-lived before things go back to the way they are, but it is good for the industry, it's good for Kenya," he said.

0
Share to 
Related Articles:
Most Popular
BACK TO TOP
Edition:
Chinese | BIG5 | Deutsch
Link:    
About CE.cn | About the Economic Daily | Contact us
Copyright 2003-2024 China Economic Net. All right reserved