NTSA criticized for suspending hailing apps vehicles
National Transport and Safety Authority, NTSA, has come under a tough online criticism after suspending vehicles operating under hailing app companies. In a statement on Monday, 31 September, NTSA Director General, Mr. Francis Mejja said that the Little Shuttle and SWVL had violated the terms and conditions with which their vehicles were allowed to operate on.
Kenyans on Twitter could not understand what kind of terms and conditions were required of SWVL and Little Shuttle that Neo Kenya and Ongata Line, the famous Nairobi’s Sacco Matatus, could manage to comply with. In my opinion, NTSA is busy sabotaging online-based transport vehicles in order to safeguard their interest and that of the Matatu cartels that have held this country hostage since independence.
The move by Mr. Mejja’s team to suspend these application-based commuter services just proves how the Kenyan government is killing entrepreneurs and startups that are pushing for technological advancements in this country. Even though the Little Shuttle and SWVL are foreign businesses operating in Kenya, I’m very certain that the Kenyan developers were learning something from them that would have soon exploded into a huge transformation in Kenya’s transport sector. Kenyans are tired of dirty Matatu business and are looking for better and efficient solutions to their commuting problems.
I don’t think Kenyans prefer foreign to local solutions as highlighted in this post, but rather Kenyan entrepreneurs are afraid of risking their little savings to invest in some startups that the government would soon move to bring them down with their tough policies.
President Uhuru Kenyatta should dedicate the remaining years of his term to streamline the various state corporations to favor startups and innovations, especially those riding on technology. Innovation is the key driver of economic growth in any country. By putting up unfavorable regulations and milking huge taxes from businesses, entrepreneurs are left with nothing except to retrench.
National Transport and Safety Authority, for example, would have engaged SWVL and Little Shuttle on a roundtable discussion to help them get the right license and be back to operate. We have so many talented developers in this country who’re inventing new ideas day in, day out and would soon move to compete with the established foreign companies. The future of this country is bright if only the government chooses to support new startups.
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