Amina Kibirige
25 April 2008
Nairobi — The week-long standoff between the police and matatu operators over the flouting of traffic regulations continued Thursday in Mombasa with the officers impounding nine vehicles with tinted windows.
The move followed a two-day strike by matatus that paralysed commuter transport on several routes in the town. Operators were objecting to being forced to remove route numbers, tints, music and fancy names from their vehicles. The crackdown also saw at least 90 touts charged with being public nuisance.
Speaking at his office Thursday, the Mombasa traffic boss, Mr Mao Ebrahim ,said the crackdown against public service vehicles playing loud music and have windows painted in many colours would continue. "We have impounded a good number of those vehicles that do not comply with the traffic regulations and we are not going to relent," he warned, adding that the crackdown would continue despite the resistance from touts and threats from matatu owners.
Parking space
On complaints that the town did not have parking space for dropping and picking passengers, Mr Ebrahim admitted that the roads were narrow.
He, however, blamed the municipal council for this. "The main problem in Mombasa is that the roads are narrow, with no designated parking points, but that is a challenge of the municipal council.
"What we demand is that the PSV operators should use the available space instead of parking along the yellow lines," he said.
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