A matatu involved in a road accident. Matatu Owners Association has owned up to mistakes on the roads. [Photo/Standard]
Matatu operators have owned up and acknowledged that they are partly to blame for the many road accidents in the country due to recklessness.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi on Thursday, the Matatu Owners Association (MOA) Chairman Simon Kimutai said they have put forward recommendations, which will see them manage the sector better.
They further called on the National and Safety Authority to be lenient on the night travel ban, which has caused havoc in the last couple of days.
According to Kimutai, they are not opposed to the ban, urging the government to adjust the time until midnight to avoid hurting investors.
“We are not opposed to the ban but we want it to be adjusted to midnight and not 7 pm and also operators be allowed to start their journey at 5 am in the morning. Operators are now losing half of their daily revenue because the trips have been cut in half,” he said.
He further said that more than 90 percent of road accidents in the country are as a result of human error.
The recommendations the association has spelled out includes ensuring there is a command centre that will monitor matatus as they operate, including change of drivers.
They also want restrooms built at the Salgaa blackspot, as well as all companies employing more supervisors on the route.
The last month has been marred by grisly road accidents, which have claimed lives of more than 300 people.