Night travel ban leaves thousands Kenyans stranded

Commuters traveling back to the cities also complained the shortage of transport had subsequently led to operators hiking fares.

Government last month banned operators from transporting passengers in the evening arguing this would lessen traffic accidents.

According to the National Transport and Safety Authority, road accidents mostly occur during that time of the day.

Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) principal and Bungoma County Senator Moses Wetangula castigated the government over the "mayhem" facing the transport industry.

He argued that placing a ban on night travels by the government would not solve road carnages.

"How will the country run a twenty four hour economy if the government places a ban on night travels?" asked Wetangula.

Wetangula challenged the government to focus on measures that would retain "discipline" on local roads.

"This has been an admission of failure and Jubilee government has no business pretending to be a government," he said.

He further noted that passengers had been forced to "pay the price of weak traffic regulations."

Besides the night bans, the transport regulations require each bus to have two drivers with each not exceeding six hour of a continuous drive.

Government further stipulates that the bus drivers be paid on a monthly basis as opposed to the current system in which the payment are remitted per trip.

The introduction of night travel guidelines has locked out many passenger service vehicles from the business due to their failure to meet some guidelines.

According to the World Health Organisation, between 3,000 and 13,000 Kenyans loses their lives in traffic crashes every year.