RELIEF!! PSV night travel ban to be lifted early February.

The government will lift ban on long-distance night travel by Passenger Service Vehicles (PSVs) in the next two weeks.

Transport PS Paul Mwangi on Wednesday told Parliamentary Transport Committee led by Pokot South MP David Pkosing that his ministry has been in talks with stakeholders and the ban will be lifted selectively.

"We will lift the night travel on PSVs in two weeks. This will, however, be done selectively to operators who have complied with the regulations. We should get daily reports on performance of all vehicles," said Mwangi.

The PS spoke at a meeting with Members of Parliament; NTSA officials, PS John Mosonik and traffic commandant Jacinta Kinyua also attended convened to respond to the Salgaa road accidents.

The committee also grilled the NTSA, traffic, ministry of roads and transport over deaths on roads.

Francis Meja, who is National Transport and Safety Authority director general, told the committee that PSV owners must adhere to the regulations for them to be allowed to operate at night.

"This is not a lifetime ban. Proper fleet management of all PSVs must be conducted for accountability of all drivers so as to curb road carnage," Meja said.

Meja said his team has conducted investigations on all accidents that occurred along the Salgaa stretch and claimed many lives in December 2017.

Buuri MP Rindikiri Mugambi blamed the chaos on roads on bad working relationships between the traffic department and NTSA.

"NTSA is in conflict with the traffic department yet the two institutions are supposed to cure the same problem. I don't see the essence of having NTSA. The two institutions should be merged."

The ban on long-distance night travel that had been imposed by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on the eve of New Year as a measure to curb road accidents following a bus-truck collision at Migaa area along the infamous Nakuru-Eldoret road claiming about 40 lives and leaving scores others injured. 

NTSA argued that most of the accidents occur at night catching many travellers who were on the countryside for Christmas and New Year celebrations by surprise and stranded. Most of those affected spent the night at booking offices after bus companies started complying with the new directive. 

Last week, Nakuru Resident Magistrate Nancy Makau dealt the night travel ban a blow after releasing 13 drivers who had been charged with driving at night saying there is no law that prohibits night travel.

“Looking at provisions of NTSA Act, the charges as brought to court do not create an offence and as such the charge sheet is thus not admitted under Section 89 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” said the magistrate.