When Rose Awuor, 37, a waiter in a Mombasa hotel, applied for a one-month leave; she was excited because she would finally meet her three children living in Malaba in Busia County.
It has been customary for her over the last two years since she started working in Mombasa to travel upcountry to visit her children every December.
In preparation for the journey, she booked a bus on December 5 ahead of the travelling date, which was 11 days later.
However, her hopes of seeing her children have dimmed after news that the road licence of the bus company had been revoked.
She is still figuring what to do as the development left her travel plans in a limbo, as it did to several other passengers. She is not sure whether she will finally travel upcountry.
REFUNDS
The situation for the disappointed travellers has been made worse after the company failed to refund their money after promising to do so on Monday.
“I do not have any money. This bus fare is all I had saved expecting to travel. I have not been refunded and do not know what to do. I wish the company would tell us when they are going to refund us,” Ms Akoth, who was to travel on Monday, laments.
For Ms Amina Ibrahim, the withdrawal of the company’s licence by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has put on hold her plans to travel to Homa Bay County.
On Monday, her efforts to get answers from the management were futile after she visited their offices in Mombasa and found them closed.
“I was to travel yesterday to see my family upcountry. I just wish they would tell me when they are refunding my money so that I know whether to get an alternative,” said Ms Ibrahim, who said she had paid Sh2,400 for the ticket.
Other travellers who had booked buses to various parts of the country are now angry and worried over the company’s deaf silence regarding their refunds.
FARE INCREASE
Mr Fredrick Odongo pleaded with the government to intervene, saying other bus companies had taken advantage of their plight to charge exorbitant fares.
“I have had to book an alternative bus from Mombasa to Busia and they are charging Sh1,000 more. This is unfair,” said Mr Odongo.
However, Modern Coast’s operations manager Juma Nyundo told Nation that the company had already refunding some of its customers.
He blamed the delay on the intricate processes that had to be completed before the transactions could be effected through mobile money transfer services.
“Many people were affected all over the country. This has proved to be a challenge but all of them will be refunded soonest,” he said.
He at the same time asked customers who had booked ahead of time to be patient, saying the buses had been inspected by NTSA and services will resume soon.
NTSA INSPECTION
“We have three quarters of the requirements by NTSA after their inspections on our buses countrywide, and we are hopeful that we will continue serving our customers. It has also been a great loss for the company,” he said.
As this continues, passengers living in major cities travelling up country during this festive season have also been stranded, exposing many to the risk of boarding unroadworthy vehicles.
A number of buses have increased their fares. Ms Juliet Ajiambo claimed she had paid Sh3,500 instead of the usual Sh2,200 to travel to Busia.
The NTSA has also summoned Tahmeed Coach Ltd over safety concerns raised by passengers.