Reprieve as Super Metro allowed to resume operations
Super Metro Sacco has been granted temporary relief after the Transport Licensing Appeals Board suspended the enforcement of a decision by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) that had suspended the public service operator's license.
The Appeals Board, in a ruling issued on Monday, certified the case as urgent and allowed Super Metro to resume operations immediately, pending the full hearing of its appeal.
"An interim order is hereby issued staying the execution, enforcement, or operation of the decision of the respondent dated 18th March 2025, suspending the operations of the appellant herein, Super Metro Sacco Limited, as a PSV operator,” the order reads in part.
NTSA must file its reply to the case by the close of business on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
SuperMetro will then have until Wednesday, March 26, 2025, to submit any additional documents in support of its case.
The board has set the hearing for both the appeal and the accompanying application on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 2:30 pm.
Until then, the directive suspending Super Metro’s operations will remain on hold.
The order also instructed that the ruling be served on the Inspector General of the National Police Service.
Super Metro had appealed to the Transport Licensing Appeals Board in Nairobi, challenging NTSA’s suspension of its operations, calling the move arbitrary and unjust.
The sacco on Friday argued it has invested heavily in regulatory compliance and warned the suspension would cripple its business, affecting thousands of livelihoods.
It claimed NTSA’s decision was based on insufficiently investigated facts and termed it malicious, calling for its immediate revocation.
NTSA suspended the sacco’s license over alleged multiple violations of Public Service Vehicle (PSV) regulations.
The authority stated that "the decision was necessitated by the need to ensure the company is not only compliant but has also implemented safety measures to protect the lives of its passengers and other road users."
According to NTSA, a review revealed non-compliance issues, including expired inspection certificates on 15 of 523 vehicles, eight lacking valid Road Service Licences, and 294 flagged for speed limiter infractions.
It also cited unqualified drivers and labor law breaches.
Super Metro dismissed the claims as outdated and unfounded.
On the issue of unqualified drivers, it clarified that the 64 drivers who allegedly failed retests on March 10, 2025, had already completed retraining and retesting three weeks earlier as required.
Despite the appeal, Super Metro complied with NTSA’s directive on Saturday, presenting its fleet for inspection along the Likoni Road motor vehicle inspection center in Nairobi’s Industrial Area.