Most buses belonging to Super Metro have been grounded following a directive from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). We commend the company for seeking to do the right thing.

The company had defied the NTSA last week and continued to operate its passenger vehicles throughout the Nairobi region.

Following inspections of 523 Super Metro vehicles, the NTSA uncovered multiple serious violations. These included expired inspection certificates, invalid road service licences, outdated speed governor certificates, failure to transmit speed data, and missing speed limiter records. These were not minor administrative violations but serious safety failures that directly endangered passengers and other road users.

The NTSA also found that many Super Metro drivers lack required qualifications. Having unqualified drivers behind the wheels of public service vehicles creates an obvious danger for everyone on Nairobi’s roads. These revelations came in the wake of a tragic incident where a passenger reportedly died after being pushed from a moving Super Metro bus during a fare dispute.

The company’s labour practices were also found to be deficient. These included allegations that Super Metro had failed to make statutory deductions such as PAYE, NSSF, and health insurance payments, along with not providing proper employment contracts.

With limited safe transport options, commuters continued to use Super Metro buses, putting themselves at risk by travelling in vehicles with questionable safety standards, operated by unqualified drivers and maintained by a company that has displayed open contempt for regulatory oversight.

The company’s defiance represented a threat to the rule of law and the regulatory regime designed to protect public safety. It sent a dangerous message that compliance with safety regulations is optional.

Immediate, decisive enforcement action was needed, including the impounding of all non-compliant vehicles as the NTSA had directed.

We were pleased to observe that Super Metro had remioved its vehicles from the roads and will make available dozens of its drivers for fresh testing.

Super Metro managers need to know that they cannot break the law and get away with it. We urge the authorities to go further and investigate the kind of music and videos played in some of Super Metro’s vehicles.