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Ongata Rongai matatu sacco sues NTSA in license row

By MAUREEN KAKAH January 25th, 2017 2 min read

A city based matatu sacco has taken the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to court for failing to issue their Public Service Vehicles with the Roads Service License.

Jaset Enterprise Limited, which operates matatus on the Lang’ata – Ongata Rongai route, wants NTSA compelled to issue them with the said license within a two weeks period.

One of the sacco’s vehicles was last year involved in a tragic road accident on Lang’ata road.

According to the sacco, 30 vehicles belonging to their members have not been able to do business since November last year and have suffered immense losses of Sh 10,000 per day each.

The sacco has accused NTSA of deliberately refusing to issue them with the said licenses even after they took them to the Transport Licensing Appeals board and the agency ordered to do so.

LOCKED UP

Through lawyer James Mwara, they complained that three of their vehicles were also apprehended on Saturday and detained at the Rongai Police Station for lacking the Road Service License.

“It is trite law that judicial orders are not issued in vain and they must be complied with hence a compelling order is necessary to remedy the sacco’s falling business,” Mr Mwara said.

The sacco claimed it tendered its written application for the disputed license on April 29, 2016 but only got a response four months later.

NTSA said then that it was reluctant to issue them with a license since the sacco only had 14 vehicles instead of the required 30.

The appeals board had issued its verdict on December 19 directing the authority to issue written reasons to the sacco stating why they had failed to issue them with the license.

The appeals board also declared that the sacco’s rights had been violated and quashed NTSA’s verbal decisions.

“NTSA has adamantly and deliberately refused to process and issue the sacco with the required license even after being ordered to do so, unless this matter is heard and orders are granted, Jaset will continue to suffer irreparable loss of income and business as well as default their mortgage installments,” Mr Mwara said.