Traffic police have been accused of negligence over the increase in road accidents by the Matatu Owners Association (MOA).
Speaking at a press conference, the chairman, Simon Kimutai MOA said that the National Transport and Safety Authority who are in charge of registering and deregistering vehicles, and the police who inspect the vehicles that are travelling these routes, are to blame.
The traffic department has set up roadblocks on major highways in an attempt to curb the number of road crashes. Kimutai argues that crashes have increased on highways since the blocks have become cash collection points.
The accusation comes just two days after a matatu head-on crash killed 20 people on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
Kimutai believed that the accident could have been avoided if police manning the many roadblocks on the route had acted.
“Police did not flag down the bus for speeding or for operating on the wrong route. It is unfortunate Kenyans died as a result of their negligence.”
Kimutai told a press conference in Nairobi that the bus went through five police roadblocks before it was involved in the accident.
He added that matatus are treated apathetically by law enforcers as most are compromised, and the police have become “tax collectors” on the highways and no longer inspect vehicles for safety of passengers.
“The roads and highways operate a cash collection point other than inspection points,” said Kimutai. Further calling upon speedy investigations into the Saturday accident and the officials manning the highway that day be held accountable since they were irresponsible and negligent.
However Kimutai admitted that officers and the regulatory authority were not fully to blame, as the MOA is aware that the industry has some rogue matatu drivers and conductors.
The Association has called upon the government to form a training centre that will mandate all drivers and conductors to undergo training, in an effort to remove rogue drivers and conductors from the industry.
