Matatus may be driven out of Nairobi's Central Business District

By Cyrus Ombati

Nairobi, Kenya: All 14-seater matatus could be barred from accessing the Central Business District (CBD) in a bid to decongest the city.

This is one of the proposals by a taskforce formed by the Government last month to address congestion in Nairobi.

The team said the move is aimed at phasing out public service vehicles (PSV) carrying fewer than 25 passengers.

A commissioner with National Police Service Commission Ronald Musengi, who is leading the team, said the county plans to allow only high capacity vehicles to operate as has been done in countries that have developed efficient public commuter transport systems.

Musengi also said PSVs will not be allowed to pick and drop passengers in town.

Further, he said, if implemented, the proposed construction of 26 new railway stations in Nairobi metropolitan area will go a long way in addressing the problem. The decongestion process in Nairobi area, which will also include the construction of a modern railway line from the city centre to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, will cost taxpayers at least Sh10 billion.

Speaking at City Hall after meeting Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, Musengi said stakeholders in the transport industry were involved in the deliberations.

Dr Kidero revealed that the county will only issue PSV licences to vehicles on cross-city transport, adding that vehicles with above ten tonnes will also not be allowed in the CBD.

“We will develop an orderly plan for the public transport system, which will reduce the number of vehicles within the CBD to decongest the city,” he said.

Parking space

Kidero noted that presently, most people drive to work because the public transport system is unreliable.

The governor, however, lamented that with about 5,000 matatus on the roads, it was difficult to control traffic. 

“Our new arrangement will reduce the number of light cars and time taken to get a free parking space, which lasts between 19 to 30 minutes,” he noted.

Kidero also revealed that 40 per cent of city commuters were school-going children.

“If we adequately address our public education system, parents will not have to take their children to school far from their residential areas,” he said.