NTSA orders urgent PSV inspections over graffiti and safety violations, threatens penalties

NTSA said some vehicles lack the official operational stickers and other identification marks issued by the authority, making it difficult to enforce compliance.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has issued a directive requiring all licensed public service vehicle (PSV) operators to immediately inspect their vehicles for regulatory compliance or face penalties such as licence suspension, impoundment, or revocation.
The agency, in a notice on Tuesday, says many commuter PSVs have breached the law by using graffiti and unauthorised decorations that hide key vehicle identifiers such as the sacco or company name, the route, and the mandatory yellow line used to show a vehicle is licensed.
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“Operators must make sure their vehicles can be clearly identified. That’s the law,” said the authority in a public notice.
NTSA also pointed out that some vehicles lack the official operational stickers and other identification marks issued by the authority, making it difficult to enforce compliance.
“These violations affect public trust and create confusion over who is allowed to operate,” the notice added.
Full vehicle audit
The agency wants all PSV operators to carry out a full audit of their vehicles and fix any problems without delay.
It warned that those who fail to comply will face action as individuals, not just as groups.
A more detailed notice is available on the NTSA website, and operators have been advised to reach out to the authority for more help or visit the nearest NTSA office.
In January this year, NTSA officers and police in Nairobi and Kiambu counties impounded several non-compliant matatus and arrested their operators during an ongoing crackdown.
The operation targeted PSVs, commonly known as nganyas, notorious for violating road safety regulations.
In a bid to restore order on Nairobi’s roads, NTSA said the operation focused on PSVs with excessive graffiti, bright fog lights, and dangerously tinted windows, particularly those on the driver's side.
This came after Kenyans online raised concerns about PSVs featured in videos circulating on social media, showing several of them violating traffic rules, including dangerous overtaking.
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