Government officials say immediate changes are necessary to prevent road congestion and carnage on Nairobi streets. The government has just taken steps to phase out the 14-seater public transport vehicles that have routinely failed safety checks and are often overcrowded.
Amos Kimunya, minister for transport, says he hopes this and other pending measures will "bring sanity in the public transport industry."
In 2004, road rules known as the Michuki Rules required all transport vehicles be fitted with seat belts and mandated new speed requirements. But these laws are rarely followed these days. Officials have determined that the 14-seater "matatus" are the most notorious rule breakers, so the Transport Licensing Board has stopped issuing licenses for them and has begun to pull offending vehicles out of operation.