(Photo courtesy)
Matatu operators have suffered a setback after a parliamentary committee rejected proposals seeking to introduce digital traffic ticketing and protect drivers from repeated roadside stops by police.
The Matatu Owners Association (MOA) had asked lawmakers to introduce electronic traffic tickets, digital records and cashless payments for traffic-related charges.
The association wanted the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to work together to establish the system.
The operators also sought protection against frequent police stops and unnecessary interruptions along their routes.
They wanted clear accountability procedures whenever vehicles were stopped or detained by officers.
However, the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure declined to include the proposals in the Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2026, saying they were either outside the scope of the proposed changes or already covered by existing laws.
The decision means the proposed digital enforcement system and additional safeguards against repeated roadside stops will not be introduced through the current Bill.
Instead, the Bill, sponsored by Kitui Central MP Robert Ngui Basil, mainly focuses on the period police can hold vehicles and motorcycles seized during traffic-related investigations.
It proposes that vehicles should be detained for a maximum of 48 hours where photographs or assessment reports are sufficient evidence for court proceedings.
However, police would be allowed to hold vehicles for up to 14 days where further investigations are required.
The committee's decision leaves matatu operators without the additional digital enforcement and roadside stop protections they had hoped lawmakers would introduce through the proposed amendments.
https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/129324-mps-reject-matatu-owners-proposals-ntsa-digital-fines-police-stops
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