Matatu and Bodaboda Operators Federation criticise NTSA revocation of Super Metro licence

Federation of Public Transportation CEO Kushian Muchiri addressing journalists the recent NTSA suspension of our SuperMetro operator license at CBD, Nairobi on March 20, 2025/DOUGLAS OKIDDY

The decision by the National Transport Service Authority (NTSA) to revoke the licence of Super Metro has been met with criticism by the Matatu and Bodaboda Operators Federation, which called on the authority to reinstate the transport sacco.

Speaking during a briefing in defense of the Super Metro management at Archives in Nairobi on Thursday, Kushian Muchiri, the chairperson of the Matatu and Bodaboda Operators Federation, said the decision has paralysed their operations.

“As a federation we are against this blanket condemnation, so we are asking the NTSA board to repeal the decision to suspend the Super Metro Sacco. As the investigations continue and when they shall end, NTSA can tell us based on facts what they think we should do," Muchiri said.

The confederation further vowed to go on strike in solidarity with the transport moderator should NTSA fail to address their grievances.

NTSA has suspended the transport operator licence citing concerns over muiltiple safety and compliance violations.

“This is to notify the public that the authority has suspended Super Metro Limited’s operator license until the company fully complies with the Public Service Vehicles Regulations, 2014, and other set conditions,” NTSA said in a statement.

The authority reported that their investigations into the Sacco found 5  vehicles with expired inspection certificates, 8 operating with expired Road Service Licenses (RSLs), 5 had expired speed limiter certificates, 88 were not transmitting speed data,171 lacked speed limiter records, 7 had no vendor details for their speed limiters and 109 were operating beyond the speed limit of 80 Kilometres per hour.

However, Super Metro argues that the authority should have conducted thorough investigations to assess whether the operator was compliant before the suspension adding that the move was a result of public pressure, which led to the blanket suspension of the Sacco as a whole, a move he said was "uncalled for."

Super Metro has been ordered to present 294 vehicles for compliance checks at speed limiter vendors, submit 42 drivers for a retest at the Likoni Driver Test Centre  and provide signed contracts for staff and proof of PAYE, NSSF, and NHIF remittances, among others.