Public transport operators will now be required to display fare details for passengers as part of proposed measures to control unpredictable increases in public service vehicle charges.
In a Bill sponsored by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) will be given powers to regulate fares, set review mechanisms and ensure passengers are protected from unfair charges.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to amend the NTSA Act, No. 33 of 2012, by introducing policy guidelines that will govern how fares payable by passengers in public service vehicles are determined across the country.
In the proposed changes, the Cabinet Secretary, in consultation with the Authority, would be allowed to make regulations setting the maximum and minimum fares payable by passengers in public service vehicles.
The regulations will be mandated to provide a framework for reviewing fares, ensuring charges imposed on passengers are fair and reasonable, requiring operators to keep copies of timetables and fare tables displayed where all passengers can see them, and putting in place measures to guarantee passenger safety.
“The proposed amendments are aimed at creating a system where relevant stakeholders are involved in developing policy guidelines for public transport fares. The guidelines would help establish maximum fares payable by passengers travelling between different points and prevent commuters from being subjected to unfair charges,” Barasa said.
If enacted, the law would give NTSA the authority to validate and approve fares charged by public service vehicles while providing passengers with a formal channel to report operators who overcharge them.
The proposal seeks to end the freedom that public service vehicle owners have enjoyed over the years in setting fares, with legislators arguing that passengers have continued to face unpredictable charges.
