The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has suspended Super Metro Limited’s operator license with immediate effect until the company complies with Public Service Vehicles Regulations and other safety requirements.
The suspension follows a comprehensive audit revealing widespread safety violations across the company’s fleet of 523 vehicles.
According to the NTSA press release, the decision “was necessitated by the need to ensure the Company is not only compliant, but that it has put in place safety measures to protect the lives of its passengers and other road users.”
Violations by Super Metro
The compliance analysis exposed multiple infractions, including:
- 15 vehicles operating with expired inspection certificates
- 8 vehicles with expired Road Service Licenses
- 5 vehicles with expired speed limiter certificates
- 88 vehicles not transmitting speed data
- 171 vehicles without speed limiter records
- 7 vehicles missing speed limiter vendor details
- 109 vehicles exceeding the 80 kph speed limit
Perhaps most concerning was the discovery that many drivers employed by Super Metro do not meet the required qualifications, which the Authority described as “a major road safety risk.”
This revelation comes after 64 of the company’s drivers failed a retest on March 10, resulting in the suspension of their driving licenses.
The audit also found Super Metro in violation of labor regulations outlined in the NTSA Operations Regulations of 2014, which require public service vehicle operators to comply with labor laws including statutory deductions, workplace health and safety measures, and written employment contracts.
How Super Metro Can Get Their License Reinstated
The NTSA has established strict conditions for Super Metro to regain its operating license. These include:
- All 294 vehicles with violations must undergo compliance checks with speed limiter vendors
- The same vehicles must pass inspection at the Likoni Motor Vehicle Inspection Centre
- 42 drivers with speed violations must be retested at the Likoni Driver Test Centre
- All unqualified drivers must be immediately removed from service
- The company must provide employment contracts and proof of statutory remittances for all staff
- All drivers must attend mandatory road safety sensitization sessions conducted by NTSA officers
- The company must submit to a comprehensive compliance audit
Public Advisory
The NTSA has warned the public against boarding any Super Metro vehicles during the suspension period. Traffic authorities have been instructed to impound any Super Metro vehicles found operating in defiance of the suspension order.
This enforcement action represents one of the largest suspensions of a public service vehicle operator in Kenya this year, affecting thousands of daily commuters who rely on Super Metro’s extensive routes across Nairobi and surrounding counties.
UPDATE
In an exclusive interview with Kenyans.co.ke, Super Metro’s CEO, Nelson Nduki, strongly condemned what he described as “unfair” treatment by the NTSA.
Nduki argued that the safety authority should have targeted only non-compliant vehicles rather than imposing a blanket suspension on the entire SACCO.
“What I can say is that it is very unfair for the authority to issue a blanket suspension. This was an isolated incident involving a few vehicles,” Nduki stated.
The CEO vigorously disputed NTSA’s findings, claiming that Super Metro has consistently prioritized compliance with regulatory requirements.
“We strongly condemn the suspension because not all of our vehicles committed the offence. You can’t just suspend an entire SACCO. We would understand if they suspended the involved parties, but a blanket suspension is uncalled for because we have always been compliant. We are probably the most compliant SACCO in the country,” he added.
Despite the suspension notice, Nduki confirmed that Super Metro vehicles continued operating on Thursday, explaining that operations had already begun before they learned of the suspension.
“We learnt of the suspension today,” he said. “We can’t just halt operations all of a sudden because we have over 500 vehicles in the city. What will happen to our loyal customers if we cease operations?”
When asked about their response to the suspension, Nduki revealed that he was consulting with stakeholders within the SACCO and considering an appeal to the NTSA tribunal.
