Passengers line up to travel at night[photo/nsekenya.co.ke]Operators of long distance Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) have decried low business even after the lifting of the night travel ban last week.
Most public PSV operators say they suffered huge losses during the ban. National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) banned night travel for PSVs on December 30, following a wave of fatal accidents mostly involving buses in Salgaa claimed 36 lives.
Director General Francis Meja said all traveling will be between 6 am and 7 pm. Apart from bus operators, hotels which depend on night travelers also registered huge losses. Most bus companies were forced to send some workers on leave.
A spot check at Mwembe Tayari area where most bus company offices are located revealed that most PSVs have resumed night operations although business is picking up slowly.
By Monday evening, most bus companies had resumed night operations. 2NK Sacco Coast region branch manager Joseph Ngachuga said they have reduced bus fare to most upcountry destinations even as the low season kicks off. “When the buses operate at night, they require two drivers but after the ban, we sacked about three drivers,” said one of the drivers of a bus company.