Matatu Owners Association Chairman Simon Kimutai speaking during a press conference. [Photo|The Standard]
The Matatu Owners Association has retaliated to the anti-rolling body bars order imposed on Wednesday by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) during the Parliamentary Committee on Transport’s meeting.
Just a day after the NTSA gave the new directive for the Public Service Vehicles to have anti-rolling bars all around the sides of the vehicles to help prevent breakups in an accident eventuality, the Matatu Owners Association has brushed off the order claiming that they all have their vehicles fixed with the defensive bars.
According to the Association’s spokesman John Methu, the Parliamentary Transport and Public Works Committee ought to involve all stakeholders in a consultative framework before making determining decisions so as to avoid finger pointing.
Methu blamed NTSA saying that they are not aware of the reality of the matter.
“Who told NTSA that PSV’s don’t have the anti-rolling bars?” he asked urging the committee to involve all stakeholders so that they don’t “take lies from NTSA.”
Methu faulted the committee for not inviting them to the meeting that discussed issues that directly affect them.
“They should call us instead of sitting in Parliament and making decisions that will affect us without our input,” he retorted.
This happened on Thursday in Nairobi following the NTSA Director-General Francis Meja’s proposal on Wednesday to the parliamentary committee that all PSVs be installed with anti-rolling body bars to prevent gross wreckage during accidents.