The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has revealed plans to work with international development partners, including the World Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in efforts to overhaul Kenya’s public service vehicle (PSV) system.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

In an interview on June 15, NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa said the collaboration is expected to support the creation of a dedicated fund to drive reforms in the public transport sector.

“Worldwide, public transport is a government-controlled service because it is a public good, and we need to get there. Getting there will be a long process, and that is a process we must start. We are having the right technical support from JICA and the World Bank, and we are creating a fund that will make sure these operators have access to the right financing,” he said.

Kondiwa described the current PSV operating model as flawed, noting that persistent cases of non-compliance point to deeper structural challenges in the sector.

📌 What You Need to Know

When asked about NTSA’s role in regulating the condition of PSVs on the road, the Director General said the authority conducts annual inspections as required by law, however, he noted that many vehicles are in deteriorating condition due to operators’ limited financial capacity to renew old fleets.

“We regularly check, but what is in the law is an annual inspection. For a vehicle that is ever on the road, 12 months is such a long time. The big problem we have with operators is the capacity, even the financing capacity, to renew those fleets,” Kondiwa said.

He added, “I want to make sure that these public transport operators have access to some funds to renew their fleets at more affordable interest rates than the market rate.”

Further, the Director General addressed reports of reckless driving practices among some PSVs, specifically "nganyas", attributing enforcement gaps to the current fragmented and largely informal system.

A fatal accident on June 3 in Nairobi’s Industrial Area involving a 32-seater matatu sparked renewed calls for stricter enforcement of public transport safety regulations after witnesses said the PSV was being driven moments before the crash recklessly, with some passengers reportedly hanging outside the vehicle during what they described as dangerous swerving.

“It is a great risk to the public, we understand that problem, but we don’t have a shortcut,” the NTSA boss stated.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke