Festive season: Inside the thriving private car transport business
Matatu Terminus for long distance vehicles in Nakuru.
As the famous saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, a section of business-minded individuals in Nakuru have taken this wise saying to heart.
One such individual is Jerry Ogolla*, who has found a way to make a profit during the festive season when most people are caught up in the hustle and bustle of being with their families.
You see, the festive season is usually a time for people to enjoy and spend time with their loved ones. Some of these loved ones are usually far away and those who live in cities have to make an effort to get to where they are.
Because of this, it is at this time that the transport sector rips big to a point that a shortage of public service vehicles is experienced leaving a good number of people hoping to travel to upcountry for the festivities stranded.
It was at this point that Ogolla and others stepped in to fill the need. Seeing a business opportunity, they turned their private vehicles into public transport vehicles to earn some extra cash.
"When I lost my job earlier this year and finding employment became a problem, I had to find a way to provide for my family, so I decided to take a risk and use my car to make a living," he said.
Ogolla, who uses his Probox, says he often plies the routes to Western Kenya, that is Kisumu, Kakamega, Malaba and many others.
"I usually hang around where the PSV vehicles pick up passengers and I usually get help from some of the street children around who help me pick up passengers and after that I get to give them a small token," he said.
"It is usually very risky because we often compete with public service vehicles as they see me as a competitor and there are times when they would even report me to the authorities, which in turn poses a threat. As a means of manoeuvring, whenever I take passengers in my vehicle, I usually tell them to get to know each other's names and if we are stopped by the police, we say we are family members travelling to our home in the interior," said Ogolla.
This has not gone unnoticed by the authorities, and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, speaking at the Matatu Owners Association National Delegates Council earlier this month, instructed the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) to crack down on private vehicles operating as public service vehicles.