Motorists in Kisumu have hailed the operation to enforce traffic rules in Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) in the wake of a directive by Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai scaling down the number of traffic police officers and police checkpoints on major roads.
Sacco officials on Wednesday mounted self-regulation inspection checkpoints along Kisumu Nairobi Highway with PSV drivers and touts found to be flouting traffic rules subjected to disciplinary measures through their respective saccos which include suspension of their licenses.
Several excess passengers were stranded along the road after they were ordered out of the vehicles by inspection teams.
Francis Mbatia, a driver playing Kisumu-Kericho road lauded the effort to bring sanity on the roads.
Mbatia said motorists should not take advantage of the absence of traffic officers on the road to flout rules and endanger the lives of passengers.
He said Mutyambai’s directive will uproot corruption in the PSVs industry.
“I support this move to bring sanity on our roads. Traffic officers were hell bent on collecting money from motorists at the expense of the well-being of the passengers,” he said.
Another motorist said self-regulation is important and the step taken by their Sacco officials is commendable.
“This is good, let drivers and conductors adhere with the traffic rules,” he said.
An official from Kisumu PSVs owners association, Booker Odhiambo, says inspection will be conducted in all the major roads leading to Kisumu city.
Odhiambo said the excess passengers are their main concern and the operation will ensure that they deter such behavior.
“We are keen to remove excess passengers from the vehicles and talk to them on the dangers of boarding an already full vehicle,” he said.
