Matatu operators may have to wait longer for digital traffic ticketing and protection against repeated roadside police stops, after Parliament rejected proposals seeking to introduce the changes through amendments to the Traffic Act.
The Matatu Owners Association (MOA) had asked lawmakers to introduce digital traffic enforcement systems, including electronic ticketing and digital records, through cooperation between the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
The association argued that adopting digital systems would improve the way traffic offences are recorded and handled. It also hoped the changes would reduce reliance on manual processes during roadside inspections.
Under the proposal, traffic officers and transport authorities would work together to maintain digital records of offences and enforcement actions, making it easier to track cases involving motorists and public service vehicles.
Matatu operators also sought safeguards against what they described as unnecessary repeated police stops while vehicles were carrying passengers along their designated routes.
Their recommendations included clearer guidelines on roadside checks and restrictions on officers stopping the same vehicle repeatedly without sufficient reason.
However, the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure declined to include the proposals in the Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The committee reportedly argued that the recommendations fell outside the scope of the proposed legislation and could not be accommodated through the amendments under consideration.
The Bill is mainly focused on regulating the period police officers can detain vehicles and motorcycles seized during traffic-related investigations.
It does not seek to establish a new digital traffic enforcement system or introduce broader rules governing roadside inspections.
The decision means the matatu association's proposals will not form part of the current amendment process, leaving operators without the changes they had requested under the Bill.
For public service vehicle operators, the rejected proposals had been aimed at addressing concerns over how traffic offences are handled and the frequency of police checks during daily operations.
The committee's position, however, was that the issues raised by the association were beyond the specific purpose of the proposed amendments.
LINK: https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/129324-mps-reject-matatu-owners-proposals-ntsa-digital-fines-police-stops?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgRzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR8DzBPd4-qQZZZCR4VfhbDIa5wftU_Y5E3kE_R8QDNP8jV0NnpUmUjtkFKZeQ_aem_vcriBW75V1XWCYraORX7YA
Leave a Reply