The National Transport Safety Authority board has suspended the operations of Team Swat and other Saccos whose matatus were involved in accidents in the last 30 days.
Board chairperson Aden Noor in a statement on Monday said the operators from the three suspended saccos will be required to undergo a safety compliance assessment immediately before being allowed to operate.
The other two include Tahmeed Sacco and Taita Taveta Sacco.
A bus belonging to the Tahmeed Sacco was involved in an accident along Nakuru- Eldoret Highway on April 17 killing four people while Taita Tavet Sacco matatu was involved in a grisly accident on April 15 resulting in 10 deaths.
“The board shall take immediate and severe disciplinary action against members of staff who will issue inspection certificate and/or road service license and/or driving licence and DL endorsement to any vehicle and driver without laid down procedures,” Noor said.
“The authority is undergoing a vigorous data cleaning exercise to ensure only legally issued inspection certificates and driving licenses are recognised,” he added.
Noor noted that all public transport operators who shall be involved in fatal crashes will have to undergo a mandatory safety compliance assessment.
The assessment will include an inspection of all their vehicles to ascertain their roadworthiness, an assessment of driver qualification and driving ability examination and a demonstration of full compliance and adherence to the PSV regulations of 2014.
“To address traffic congestion concerns, the authority hereby halts PSV route extension and variations in Nairobi and environs until an assessment of facilities available is conducted,” Noor said.
The board further gave public transport operators with less than 30 vehicles 30 days to meet the requirement on the number of vehicles they should have, failure to which they will have their licences revoked.
Last week, at least five students of Mbihi Girls High School died in a road accident in Naivasha after a matatu ferrying 11 hit a trailer near Delamere farm, killing five of the girls on the spot.
It later emerged that the students had complained about speeding by their driver before the accident occurred.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen directed road agencies to expeditiously complete ongoing road safety audits on all blackspots.
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