Kinatwa Sacco matatu. [Photo/pbs.twimg.com]
National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) on Friday suspended a fleet of Kinatwa Sacco vehicles which ply the Nairobi-Kitui route.
The tough action on more than 150 vehicles whose operations were halted started undergoing inspection in Nairobi, Machakos, and Thika means that they will miss out on the brisk Christmas weekend business.
An officer attached to Kitui traffic department, who declined to be named, said the vehicles could resume operations on Sunday if the inspection process to ensure that they are roadworthy and comply with traffic is completed.
According to a source, the crackdown on the vehicles followed last weekend’s accident near Thika Town in which one of the Sacco’s vehicles collided head-on with a truck head-on killing all the passengers.
Chairman of the Sacco Francis Musyoka criticised the suspension saying it is malicious to ground the vehicles at a time of brisk business.
” We suspect witch-hunt in the whole thing as accidents is normal”, he said, adding that the association vehicles have not only complied with government traffic rules but also their drivers are competent on the road.
He urged the motor vehicle inspection teams to hasten the inspection so that the vehicles can be back on the road from today.
Matatus from other routes took advantage of the Sacco vehicles absence Kitui-Nairobi routes took advantage of the situation to take the route.