MORE than 250 matatus belonging to Meru Nissan Sacco face suspension if found guilty of violating traffic laws following an accident that killed nine people last Thursday.
Toad safety director at the National Transport and Safety Authority Mathew Munyao said the management of the sacco has been summoned to ascertain if the matatu had complied with all the traffic requirements at the time of the accident.
“What we know now is that the vehicle carried 18 passengers instead of the recommended 14.I f there are any other violations we will know next week,” he said.
Munyao said they will find out if the sacco violated other provisions of the law before taking an appropriate action.
“We will not hesitate to suspend them if they do not convince us otherwise. We have done it before, so we do not fear,” he said.
Speaking during the launch of a training programme for boda boda operators in Kangemi, Nairobi, on Friday, Munyao said the sacco has 251 registered vehicles.
They operate on the Nairobi-Embu-Meru-Maua route.
The accident occurred when the matatu collided head-on with a lorry at Gikumene on the Meru-Nairobi road.
Munyao accused the driver of the lorry, which was transporting miraa, of speeding.
“We will engage leaders from the entire Meru and Tharaka Nithi regions to see if we can look for alternative ways of transporting miraa even it is by air. Lives cannot be put at risk because miraa is perishable,” he said.