Traffic police during a past operation. Photo/ pulse.ng
Business at the Likoni bus terminus in Mombasa County was grounded to a halt for hours on Saturday after hundreds of matatu operators clashed with police officers.
The matatu operators were protesting over alleged harassment by police officers after the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) issued a directive to detain and pluck-off the number plates of un-roadworthy public service vehicles operating in the area.The matatu operators were armed with crude weapons during the confrontation with the police officers with passengers who were caught between the crossfire forced to scamper for safety.One of the drivers participating in the protest, Mr Bernard Osomo, told journalists that the police were taking advantage of the directive to intimidate the matatu operators.“The police officers are intimidating matatu operators in order to prevent them from operating. Those vehicles that have complied with the directive are still being impounded,” said Mr Osomo.NTSA deputy director safety enforcement and accident investigation boss Hared Aden who led the operation of inspecting the vehicles said Public Service Vehicles (PSV) and private cars will be subjected to inspection leading to plucking off of the registration numbers.He said during the operation in Mombasa, 45 public vehicles were inspected with a total of 25 cars being impounded.He added that the drivers of the vehicles will be charged in court for endangering the safety of the passengers.Mr Aden said the exercise will continue not only in Mombasa but also country wide as some of the matatu operators are operating un-roadworthy vehicles, thus putting their passengers lives at rusk.“The exercise will continue and the area of focus will be road service licence, inspection and general vehicle road worthiness,” he said.