The Truckers Association of Kenya (TAK) is urging the government to include its members in state agency boards and to harmonise county levies to eliminate double taxation.
Speaking in Mombasa during the Association’s Annual General Meeting, TAK Chairman Raphael Lamuya said inconsistent and multiple charges continue to drive up the cost of doing business and disrupt route planning.
“We have petitioned the Council of Governors and are collaborating with other associations to advocate for a harmonised framework,” he said.
On fuel price fluctuations, the Chairman noted that fuel is a key driver in the movement of essential goods and services and any increase directly raises the operating costs of trucking businesses.
Lamuya said transporters bear the brunt of rising fuel prices and are often left with no option but to pass the burden on to consumers.
He advised all 143 SACCOs to consider revising their transport rates upwards by between 12.5 per cent and 25 per cent to cushion against the rising cost of fuel.
“We don’t want the burden to go to transporters. Transporters are paying loans; they have families, while other transporters are also relying on them for their daily needs,” he said.
To further advance the interests of truckers, the association is working around the clock to secure representation on the boards of key government agencies, including NTSA, KeNHA, KeRRA, KURA, the Kenya Roads Board and NEMA.
Lamuya noted that most policies affecting truckers are formulated, implemented and enforced by these agencies.
“When these changes are made, we will give our views, and when decisions are made, they will not affect anyone,” he stated.
On axle load compliance, the Chairman affirmed that the association, which comprises 143 SACCOs, adheres to weight regulations and does not overload. Members have embraced self-regulation.
TAK Secretary General (SG) Denny Ndwii said the proposed introduction of a road license fee will further increase the cost of doing business, terming it an additional burden to transporters.
“Already, the transporter is paying more taxes than any other investors in this country. Consider a situation where a transporter fuels his vehicle. Every time he does fuelling, the government gets Sh85 from every litre that we buy.
Again, the same transporter who is doing inter-county business moves from county A, where he is charged a cess, a parking fee and other levies that have funny names and goes to another county that also charges those levies with different names that also amount to double taxation,” he said.
The SG urged both national and county governments to harmonise charges into a single license to enable transporters to operate anywhere in the country under one permit.
He also underscored the need for transporters’ representation on boards handling transport matters.
Ndwii further urged NTSA to ensure roads are well-marked to help drivers avoid unnecessary fines during enforcement of traffic rules.
By Sadik Hassan
