Commuters in Kisii town have raised concern over mistreatment by PSV operators citing that they abuse and harass them.
The customers’ claim the operators are very rough and use abusive language towards them, something which they say is quite embarrassing at times.
“I have been abused and roughed up a number of times by conductors in these public vehicles. I don’t understand why they have to be so rude yet we are their customers,’’ said Martha Okoth, one of the commuters in the area.
They claim the operators have a tendency of using obscene language that they are completely against.
“Some operators use very abusive, sensitive words. There was once one of them called me a lowlife for failing sh50. The incident was embarrassing and to make it worse, it was infront of people I do not know. The conductor even went as far as threatening to throw me out of the vehicle and it was late in the night. These kind of behaviour can just not be tolerated,’’ said Joel Ogembo, another commuter.
The operators, however, refuted the claims saying that they do no such thing.
“Some individuals board the vehicle and refuse to pay or want to pay less yet we are in business. If you cannot afford the said amount let us know so that we do not have to go through embarrassing you in the vehicle,” said Saul Otina, a matatu driver.
Customers have now urged the matatu to be respectful and so that they can coexist peacefully without embarrassment.