44 days after the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) suspended the operational license of Modern Coast Express Limited, questions still loomed regarding the company’s continuous operations.
In a bid to clear the air, the Modern Coast Express communications team shared with Kenyans.co.ke a letter from NTSA indicating that the ban had been lifted on January 18, 2023.
Signed by Christopher Kinyua Wanjau, the director for motor vehicle registration and licensing at NTSA, the Authority noted that the decision was arrived at following the summons of the company’s directors by NTSA.
Two days prior, a fatal accident occurred on December 28, 2022, whereby one person died after a Modern Coast bus plunged into Nyakomisaro River in Kisii town.
“In consultation with the State Department of Transport, the authority hereby wishes to inform you that the suspension on your company operations has been lifted,” the statement read in part.
Wanjau, however, noted that the Authority would continuously monitor the bus company to ensure compliance with all rules and regulations.
“Please note that the Authority will closely monitor your operation and will not hesitate to take necessary measures against your company if any provisions governing PSV operations are violated,” Wanjau pointed out.
NTSA also advised the National Police Service (NPS) to allow the company to operate.
Days after the suspension, Modern Coast announced that it would continue its regional operations and only halt domestic travel.
According to the bus company, only three routes were affected by the ban.
“Modern Coast will continue operating on; Nairobi – Kampala, Nairobi – Kigali and Nairobi Bujumbura routes,” the statement from the company dated December 31, 2022, read in part.
Recently, the bus company announced a one-way trip from Burundi’s capital Bujumbura to Nairobi, Kenya – a distance of 1,260 kilometers. The trip cost Ksh10,000 in booking fees.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE