Night travel ban causes congestion as passengers throng bus parks

Drama as angry Bungoma travellers get physical with bus company staff

What you need to know:

  • In Nairobi, agitated passengers confronted Easy Coach bus company management.
  • They sought answers on the woes that they were going through with their children, who were heading back to school.
  • Many had lost hope of beating the schools opening deadline.

Hundreds of Kenyans travelling after the end-year festivities have expressed their anger and frustration as they waited to board buses at various termini in the country but which were nowhere to be seen.

Many who had planned to travel overnight have had to reschedule their journeys as the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) ban on night travel by long-distance PSVs took effect.

Panic gripped the uneasy travellers who were stranded as their travel plans got a beating following the ban on Sunday after the horrific crash at Migaa along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.

Passengers scramble to board a bus in Nairobi on January 2, 2018. PHOTO | COLLINS OMULO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

SOUGHT ANSWERS

In Nairobi, agitated passengers confronted Easy Coach bus company management as they sought answers on the woes that they were going through with their children, who were heading back to school.

Many had lost hope of beating the schools opening deadline.

“I have been here since 5am in the morning and it is now almost 11am and I am yet to get a bus for my child who is heading to Mbale for his schooling. I was told to be here early so that he could leave at 6am but, see, we are still here,” said a vexed Elizabeth Muganya.

An agitated passenger (left) at the Easy Coach bus company offices in Nairobi on January 2, 2018. PHOTO | COLLINS OMULO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

BOOKING SCHEDULES

Ms Muganya laid the blame was squarely on the management of the company, accusing them of causing the delays by being incompetent in their control of the influx of passengers by not following the booking schedules.

“They cannot hide under the ban when they are still issuing fresh tickets instead of dealing with those who had booked earlier. I booked on December 26 and imagine somebody comes here and is given a ticket and ushered into a bus,” complained Ms Muganya who had to force her son into a bus.

Another passenger, Felix Onyango, almost resorted to fist fight with the management, complaining of being delayed despite being at the terminal in time and the management seemingly unperturbed.

He had to be restrained by other passengers who managed to pacify the escalating situation although they were also seething with anger.