Probox taxi operators in Kirinyaga county have defied a government ban targeting them.
They said they will not stop offering services, despite matatu operators in the area keeping off the road yesterday to protest against their operations.
The government last October banned Probox vehicles from operating as passenger vehicles.
Kirinyaga Probox and small vehicles sacco chairman Edwin Muchiri said they will continue operating since they have complied with NTSA rules and have relevant county government documents.
“Whoever thinks they are going to get us off the road are lying to themselves,’’ Muchiri said.
Matatu saccos in Kerugoya, Kutus and Kagumo towns stopped operations for the better part of the morning to protest the failure to crack down on cars operating as PSVs.
Kukena Sacco operations manager Chomba Kala said the Probox and cars operating as PSVs are a menace to Matatus.
“We have complied and we used a lot of money to do so only to get competition from people who operate with impunity,” Chomba said.
He said Probox owners have not complied with state requirements.
Kirinyaga central Deputy County Commissioner Daniel Ndege said the crack down on vehicles that have not complied with Michuki rules is ongoing.
“In three months time, there will be no probox operating as a PSV, we had to give them time since some of them had taken loans,” Ndege said.
The government official also noted that most Probox and car owners who were operating as PSVs have started using them for personal transport while others are selling them.
In October last year, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i gave a directive for all PSVs to comply with the Michuki rules. He directed all regional and county bosses to oversee that no vehicle that had not complied operates.
The directive came after numerous accidents that caused over 3000 deaths. Matiangi also directed that no probox or car should operate as a PSV. Also in the directive was for touts to be removed from bus stages.