• Most long-distance matatus have been grounded because most of their trips either end or start in Nairobi and Mombasa counties.
• The vehicles cannot change routes without authorisation by the National Transport and Safety Authority.
Image: FILE
Long-distance public service vehicles have been allowed to ply short routes after the government imposed travel restrictions that grounded their operations.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on April 6 ordered the cessation of movement in and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Most long-distance matatus have been grounded because most of their trips either end or start in Nairobi and Mombasa counties.
The vehicles cannot change routes without authorisation by the National Transport and Safety Authority.
NTSA on Thursday said it will start issuing short-term licenses for such vehicles to operate within the counties where they are grounded.
Transport CS James Macharia said the move is aimed at ensuring operators do not suffer huge losses as a result of the order meant to arrest the spread of Covid-19.
“NTSA is considering introducing short-term licenses to these affected operators upon application because we don’t know how long those vehicles will lie within the premises where they are grounded,” Macharia said.
Macharia told the Senate ad hoc committee on Covid-19 that the vehicles will ease transportation problems especially at this time when PSVs are required to carry fewer passengers.
The minister said Kenya Railways has added 40 new passenger coaches to its trains to address the problem in Nairobi.
“We want to ensure that we carry as many people as possible while at the same time maintain the social distance,” Macharia said.
The CS said the ministry had also started procuring a system for cashless payment of bus fare in the country to avoid the use of notes and coins to limit the transmission and spread of Covid-19.
“What we have done is to get NTSA to engage public transport stakeholders to see how they can put a system in place. Specifications have been put in place aimed at safeguarding the interests of all parties,” he said.
The minister said he has reached out to the Nairobi Metropolitan Service director general Maj. Gen Mohamed Badi to waive seasonal parking fees for matatus in the city during this period of Covid-19 pandemic.
The move is aimed at cushioning the owners of the vehicles from further losses due to stringent measures introduced to curb coronavirus spread.
On the matter of long-distance truck drivers who have been blamed for spreading the virus, Macharia said the issue has been addressed jointly by all the East Africa countries as it involves cross-border movements.
Among the measures introduced are mandatory tests for the drivers at the point of entry and exit and issuance of surveillance forms to track their whereabouts and movements.
“This had been a problem because the idea was to make sure we have a uniform way of handling it. It has also been escalated to the Presidents to ensure we have seamless movement of cargo,” Macharia told the committee chaired by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja.
Edited by Peter Obuya