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The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has instructed all Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators to eliminate graffiti and unauthorized artistic designs that obscure vehicle identification.
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According to the authority, these embellishments often hide the names of the SACCOs or companies the vehicles are registered under and, when combined with missing continuous yellow lines, make the PSVs hard to identify.
As per the NTSA (Operation of Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, 2014, all PSVs must clearly display the name of their SACCO or company in bold lettering on the front, back, and sides of the vehicle.
“Such violations not only breach the legal framework but also erode public trust in the PSV sector by creating confusion about which operator is responsible,” NTSA stated.
The agency also noted that many of these vehicles fail to prominently display the official NTSA operational sticker or other required identifying marks, making it difficult to carry out proper regulation and enforcement.
This directive follows a series of recent PSV-related accidents that have resulted in injuries and fatalities. One notable case involved “Uppercut,” a popular Nairobi matatu that crashed in Tetu, Nyeri County, while on a private trip, leaving at least one person dead and over 20 injured.
“In light of these developments, all licensed public transport operators must immediately carry out a thorough inspection of their fleets to ensure full compliance with the stated regulations,” the NTSA said.
The authority warned that failure to comply will attract strict enforcement actions, including vehicle impoundment, suspension, or even revocation of licenses for both vehicle owners and operators.
