A fierce fight that erupted among matatu crew members over stage management disrupted transport services for members of the public this morning in Nakuru’s Teachers estate.
The clashes that involved over twenty drivers and touts according to sources were caused by a dispute in the management of routes after some crew members’ accused others of playing double standards.
The sources indicated that several people were injured during the early morning clashes at Teachers estate matatu terminus while members of the public using public service vehicles were forced to trek about 2 kilometres to catch up with other public service vehicles on the main Nakuru-Nyahururu highway.
According to Julius Ngaira a tout who works with the Bahati Matatus Sacco, the fight begun after matatu crew members from the Free Area Matatu Sacco invaded their routes in search of passengers.
He said several of the rival group crew continued invading the Bahati route territory thus resulting to the clashes.
“The Free Area people started invading various estate joints ferrying passengers while our matatus kept at the normal stages. This thing angered us and that is why we grouped up and asked them to stop the nonsense” he said.
A stage manager at Teachers matatu terminus Harun Ngunjiri said he had been forced to mobilize his crew members to take action because the other matatu operators were deliberately breaking rules while inconveniencing his group.
He said members of his crew decided to forcefully solve the problem as the rivals were defiant.
“The Free Area people have formed a habit of invading this area as we have more customers during the morning rush hour. They go inside the estate streets to pick passengers as we stick on at the stages,” he said.
He added that the matter would be reported the two Sacco officials for a lasting solution.