Africa Battles COVID-19: Riding the wave - Matatus

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The mode of transport popular with majority of Kenyans is, the Matatu. These are public buses, mini buses or vans that ferry passengers and goods across the country. CGTN’s Asta Tall spent a day with a matatu crew on one of the Kenyan routes, she wanted to find out how the Matatu industry is coping.
In Kenya, The Government issued stricter rules to govern the public transport sector on how the players will conduct themselves in the wake of the pandemic. During a press conference held on Friday, March 20, held in Nairobi, Kenya’s Health CS Mutahi Kagwe, laid down guidelines that were aimed at reducing congestion in the public service vehicles.
"14-seater matatus will carry a maximum of eight passengers; 25-seater vehicles a maximum of 15 passengers, 30 seater vehicles and above to maintain a sixty per cent maximum of sitting capacity," Kagwe stated.
He further informed that the new guidelines issued would similarly extend to the Standard guage Railway (SGR) and commuter trains plying through the country every single day. The CS further added that all the public service operators were expected to clean and disinfect their vehicles at the end of each trip.
The Health CS further directed the public transport operators to provide hand sanitizers for passengers.
According to Abdi Saddam a route manager in one of the Matatu Saccos in Kenya the outbreak of covid 19 has hit the matatu sector really hard, many passengers are staying at home thus impacting on the bottom-lines of the public transport vehicles

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