Hundreds of Kenyans who had planned to travel upcountry for Christmas celebrations have been forced to pitch camp at bus stages after operators in the transport sector decided to make a killing from the high number of customers.
At Machakos Country Bus stage in Nairobi, commuters scrambled to secure seats in the few buses that were available as others sat on their luggage waiting eagerly for the next vehicle.
Currently, bus fares have been doubled up forcing some to boycott their journey as others waited in the scorching sun. Several opportunistic money hungry hawkers walked around selling almost everything to the already tired, thirsty and starved commuters.
Some travelers linked the high fares to the dreaded Michuki rules that operators in the transport sector have to comply with before they are allowed to provide services to Kenyans. However, the operators have hiked the fares despite government directive requiring them to maintain the current prices and warning of dire consequences for those found overcharging passengers.
In a press release on Tuesday, December 4, National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said it would revoke licenses of any PSV engaging in passenger exploitation through arbitrary fare increase. According to Section 30 article 3 clause (a), of NTSA regulations, the fares imposed for the carrying of passengers must be reasonable and ensure fair competition within the transport industry.