Transport crisis: Experts flew out to study transport management

By Kenfrey Kiberenge and Joe Kiarie

Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Thursday formed an inter-ministerial taskforce to look into the issues raised by matatu operators, even as a report containing the ultimate solution to the mess continues to gather dust at the Transport Ministry’s headquarters.

What the PM and most Kenyans might not know is that while serving as Transport Minister John Michuki (now Minister for Environment) authorised the writing of a detailed report, Integrated National Transport Policy, on the management of public transport in 2004. About Sh50 million was sunk into the project where experts were dispatched to various countries to study how public transport is managed.

Stop Corruption

The report proposes the establishment of a Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) for Nairobi to bring together all public transport functions of planning, ownership, operation and enforcement, thereby making implementation easy.

Many Kenyans turned to trains during the recent strike by matatus (public taxis).

Once put in place, it will set and enforce collection of fares and introduce seamless travel as well as collect revenues from transport related activities such as advertising. KBS Managing Director Edwins Mukabanah recommends that the authority should introduce a cashless mode of ticketing where the crews will not handle money.

This, he says, will stop corruption, as the knowledge by the police that the conductors carry cash is an incentive for both parties to engage in graft. The same authority will also control and manage freight, logistics and supply chain goods carrying vehicle. Besides being mandated to offer tenders to public transport operators, where operators are paid on kilometre performance basis, the authority will be required to set up a finance institution to finance operators and infrastructure maintenance and expansion.

It separates infrastructure and rolling stock (owners of vehicles) ownership from operators (service providers) and staff. The Michuki report also sought to bring together all Government departments dealing with public transport matters to a round table, a departure from the current scenario where the departments are scattered under various ministries, thereby providing an opportunity for buck-passing.

The authority will also participate in production and implementation of the transport plans in the metro area and coordinate with physical planners to discourage spontaneous urban sprawl. Mukabanah holds that planners of roads ought to take responsibility whenever an accident occurs, saying this would have been the case if the authority had been in place.

Ms Jennifer Graeff, the project co-ordinator at the Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, warns that any change in the transport system in Nairobi will be met with resistance, especially when the changes directly impact the matatu industry. It is also certain that the transition will be difficult for matatu owners and crews. But she recommends that there be a consideration of integrating matatus into the future system.

Compensated

Mukabanah argues that the 14-seater matatus ought to be phased out and owners compensated, if need be, to buy bigger buses.

"The Government can do what South Africa did… crashing the small matatus and paying the owners off to invest in bigger vehicles," he said.

Another alternative is to leave them to operate in the rural areas.

Graeff says matatu Saccos should play an important role in addressing the concerns of stakeholders and in integrating the matatus into a comprehensive system. She says Saccos should become professional transport firms, acting as key stakeholders in the transition process.

"They can act as the liaison between the members of their sacco and the other stakeholders, including the Government," she says.

She also proposes the enactment of a transportation vision for the Nairobi Metropolitan Area.

The area should be under the jurisdiction of MTA, as proposed by the Michuki report. The authority will be tasked with route planning, scheduling, route tendering and monitoring the quality of services. It shall also seek to improve accessibility and mobility by discouraging public transport mode integration.

In some cases, the authority will act as agent — collecting transport tax or toll on behalf of the Government. Should the report be implemented, the authority will control entry into and exit out of all public transport markets and will regularly carry out all transport surveys, census and research.

It is this same authority that will own and maintain road, water and rail public transport infrastructure such as bus stations, bus stops, stages, lay bays and shops. This is aimed at curbing touting and illegal gangs.

The report recommends that the authority will set standards and evaluate and monitor operators to attain world-class best practice. Some of the measures proposed include setting up of a complaints handling machinery and working with commuters to improve the quality of services rendered.

Risk Management

Says the report: "The MTA takes control of risk management and insurance in the system, introduces use of both political and economic instruments in traffic management and offers real time Public Passenger information.

It will use Intelligent Transport Systems to monitor and manage public transport 24/7, offer publicity and marketing for the Metro mass public transport.

Security will be enhanced through the installation of I CCTV cameras.

It is also proposed that public transport be given priority like creating bus lanes. This, it is assumed, will lure personal car owners into using the buses. To end amateurism, the report recommends that MTA recruit, train and employ staff. This will also achieve good conditions of employment, mop the Metro Area of small individual capacity PSVs and assist them invest in buses thereby making PSV’s compete for service delivery as opposed to competing for passengers.

 

Read all about: Metropolitan Transport Authority matatu Integrated National Transport Policy

 

 

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