Public transport in Kenya

Matatu operators have been given a deadline of two weeks to ensure that their vehicles are in compliance with the famous Michuki rules as the government seeks to step up efforts to control the ravaging road carnage.

A joint statement issued by the Ministries of Transport and Interior on Thursday directed all Public Service Vehicles be fitted with speed governors, safety belts and the continuous yellow line or prepare to face the law starting November 12.

“Therefore, effective Monday, 12 November 2018, any PSV vehicle, drivers, SACCOs/Transport companies, passengers and other relevant parties that fail to comply with the provisions of the NTSA Act and the Traffic Act will be firmly dealt with the law,” the statement said in part.

The ministries attributed the rise of road accidents to failure by PSVs to observe traffic rules.

Passengers will not be spared either in the crackdown and will be expected to adhere to the rules as well. These include wearing seat belts and not alighting or boarding in undesignated areas.

The famous Michuki rules, which were introduced by the late John Michuki during his tenure as transport minister in President Kibaki’s Government, had brought some sanity on Kenyan roads.

Michuki was widely acknowledged as among the best performing ministers in  Kibaki’s Government.

The Michuki rules had among other things outlawed matatu graffiti, overloading and also required drivers and touts to wear uniforms and for PSVs to be fitted with speed governors.

The recent efforts by the government to enforce the Michuki rules comes in the background of alarming cases of death on our roads with the most recent being the Kericho bus accident that left 52 people dead two weeks ago.