Super Metro: Issues raised by NTSA outdated

Super Metro fleet of matatus. /SUPER METRO/FILE

Super Metro has refuted the claims made by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) regarding the suspension of the sacco's operator license.

In a statement, on Thursday, the company said the allegations are outdated and unfounded.

The company said its entire fleet is fully compliant with NTSA regulations and have already addressed concerns raised following NTSA investigation.

"On compliance with the Traffic Act and NTSA Regulations: NTSA claims that out of 294 vehicles, five had expired inspection certificates, fifteen had expired Road Service Licenses (RSL), and several vehicles had issues with speed limiters. We confirm that all inspection certificates and Road Service Licenses for the mentioned vehicles were renewed prior to the suspension," the company said.

It added that the allegation regarding speed limiters, the company claims it promptly reached out to their vendors who rectified the problem across all affected vehicles.

"These corrective actions were completed well before the suspension, ensuring full compliance with NTSA standards," Super Metro said.

Regarding allegations on driver qualification, the transport company said NTSA's claim that 64 of their drivers failed a retest on March 10, 2025, leading to the suspension of their licenses is inaccurate.

"We wish to clarify that the drivers in question underwent the required retraining and retesting three weeks ago, as mandated. All affected drivers have since been recertified and are fully qualified to operate our vehicles, in line with the Traffic (Driving Schools, Driving Instructors, and Driving Licenses) Rules, 2020.

"The claim that our drivers do not meet required qualifications is therefore outdated and does not reflect our current operational status," the company said.

On the overall compliance with Public Service Vehicle Regulations, Super Metro said they have ensured compliance with all labour laws, including providing signed contracts for drivers and staff, as well as up-to-date records of PAYE, NSSF, and SHA remittances.

While suspending the company's operator licence, NTSA had claimed non-compliance with the Public Service Vehicles Regulations including on labour and statutory deductions.

NTSA claimed that the sacco's 294 vehicles out of a fleet of 523 have compliance violations and must be presented, together with their drivers, for fresh inspection at its headquarters on Likoni Road.

The authority further alleged that 109 of the vehicles were found operating beyond the 80km speed limit, 171 did not have speed limit recorders, 88 were not transmitting speed data, five bore expired speed limit certificates, seven did not have speed limit vendor details, 15 had expired inspection certificates, while eight had expired road service licences.

Consequently, NTSA asked commuters not to board the vehicles and directed traffic police to impound any Super Metro matatu found operating in violation of the suspension.

"Members of the public are cautioned against boarding vehicles belonging to Super Metro Limited. The Traffic Department is required to impound vehicles belonging to the company found operating contrary to the suspension," NTSA stated.

The authority said the decision was necessitated by the need to ensure the company is not only compliant, but that it has put in place safety measures to protect the lives of its passengers and other road users.

In their statement, Super Metro said that as a major employer in Kenya's transport sector, the blanket ban threatens the economic stability of their workforce and disrupts essential services for passengers.

The company said it remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability, and is ready to collaborate with NTSA to resolve any remaining concerns.

"We urge NTSA to review the updated status of our compliance efforts and reconsider this suspension. We take pride in supporting thousands of Kenyan families while connecting people across the region."