Following the closing of schools for the second term this week, matatus operating along the Thika highway hiked their fares, leaving a large number of passengers stranded.
Drivers and conductors on the route said fares cannot be the same when there are many customers. The operators said that the huge number of passengers who needed their services caused the fare hikes.
However, matatus fitted with booming music systems made good business as students prefer them to cool and quiet ones. Matatus without music opted to charge less in order to get their share of the ‘kill’.
“Students like to be comfortable and get entertained. I’d rather pay more and get satisfied. That is why we all want to board this matatus playing loud music,” explained James Maigua, a student from Kiambu.
The usual fare ranges from Sh50 to Sh100 but it has been hiked to Sh150 this week.
Dennis Ngarau, a driver on the Thika route, said that although the business was good, money should not cause the drivers to speed.
“We have been entrusted with lives thus should take great care of them. This time round, it is not ordinary passengers but children, so we have to be extra careful,” he added.