Traffic police officer in Changamwe Sub-county within Mombasa are sending a stern warning to all matatus operators in the area that they should respect traffic laws or be nabbed and charged.
Changamwe Deputy Traffic commandant Mohammed Hassan said that most public service vehicle drivers within Changamwe were flouting traffic rules thus causing accidents and endangering the lives of passengers.
Speaking at Changamwe Police station on Saturday after meeting several matatu operators in an awareness forum, Hassan said that if the operators adhere to traffic rules, then such frequent accidents in various roads within the Mombasa mainland west will be avoided.
He said that police are not on the roads to victimize against anyone but instead to ensure sanity in Changamwe roads.
Hassan refuted claims that the traffic department in the area was harassing motorists without any valid reasons.
“We only deal with those ignoring traffic rules since we know the impact of such bad behaviors in our roads, why should we arrest you if you have all your valid public service vehicle required documents?” he said.
Mohammed appealed for cooperation between motorists and traffic officers so that accidents witnessed in the Sub-County are reduced.
On his part, Mikindani MCA Juma Renson Thoya said that he was working towards ensuring that all PSV operators in Changamwe have valid required documents so as to ensure the smooth running of all transport activities in the whole of Changamwe Sub-County.
Thoya said that all youth who have gone through proper driving tutorials will be assisted to acquire all valid documents so that they are able to seek employment in various transport companies in the area.
“If you have all the valid documents, you will not fight with the traffic police officers, let’s all work as one family and we will all benefit from the transport sector,” he asked the traffic police officers and matatu operators during the Saturday forum.