When Kenya Railways announced the coming of the Nairobi Commuter Train in October, most Kenyans on social media praised the government as the project is aimed at reducing congestion on city roads.
“The revamped Nairobi Commuter Rail network and infrastructure will provide a viable transport solution to a substantial proportion of the 1.5 million people who commute into Nairobi City Central Business District (CBD) every day and make commuting easier,” said Kenya Railways.
On Tuesday, November 10, President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the revamped Nairobi Commuter Rail Service (NCRS) and the refurbished Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs). During the launch, President Kenyatta stated that they invested in additional stations to rehabilitate the Nairobi Railway station, which will serve an estimated 40,000 passengers a day.
According to data by Kenya Railways, 20,000 commuters use the rail network during weekdays. This is through the Nairobi Central Station to Ruiru via Dandora, Githurai and Kahawa, to Syokimau via Makadara and Imara Daima, Embakasi Village via Pipeline, and Donholm and Kikuyu via Kibera and Dagoretti.
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Yesterday, the Kenya Railways released the official train schedule with fare charges. The Diesel Multiple Units will operate on a fixed schedule across the city with a Sh100 flat rate to each destination. Despite the excitement of having a faster and efficient way of commuting, most Kenyans feel the Sh100 fare is a bit expensive for the common Mwananchi.
Airing their views on Twitter, a section of netizens said using a matatu to some of the destinations is cheaper than using the Nairobi Commuter Train.
If you are serious with business and you want to survive the matatu competition price your fares with other competitors according to demand and supply else in one year that thing will be registering losses and it will fail. Think like business people and not like government. — joshua otao (@joshuaotaodepic) November 16, 2020
Where you go wrong is the pricing.
It's still cheaper to use a matatu.
Consider that a lot of people still need to use a matatu to get to the train station.
The cost should be 40 as it was with the old train. Incentivise people to use the train .— Pebbles (@Waru_Mopebbles) November 16, 2020
DMU ikiwekwa 80 itaweza. Imagine boarding a train at 2pm to town at 100 bob when matatus charge 30 bob from Pipeline?? Check on tbe prices — iggie 254 (@lybrian1) November 15, 2020
You should lower your prices to compete with Matatus. Though you're convenient in terms of time, Nairobians have the HABIT of finding matatus outside their "doorstep" anytime (So matatus charge a premium for this). Devise prices that will make Nairobians sacrifice their time..... — joblo (@jobwekesa) November 16, 2020
...you need also to rethink about the fare, please come up with s stage to stage fares where if you board at town to makadara you don't pay same as one going to SGR. from makadara to imara daima and you pay same as one going direct from town to sgr. — mavita (@frankmwillu2011) November 17, 2020
Hii bei nayo itabidi mumeiangalia. Mat ni cheaper, faster na inakuwacha kwa barabara. Alafu nyinyi mnalipisha 100 for 1.5hrs ????
Si mngeanza hata na 50bob mpandishe kila mwaka— MAYAI (@WAZlRl) November 16, 2020
How do I pay ksh.100 from makadara to town while matatu are charging 30 https://t.co/uAIkJQZbc4? — Steve kasoa (@skasoa) November 17, 2020
this is a very bad decision you have made to triple the fares. It just shows you have no interest of the common mwananchi at heart. why can't you charge what people can afford? what sense does it make to pay 100 where you normally pay 50 bob or 30 bob? — Samuel (@Mungai5Sammy) November 16, 2020
Someone with a hidden motive is not advising govt right, you cannot start like that, fare can't be a flat rate of kshs100! This is what matatus have been doing, so in other words it seems this project may never pick up, can't pay 100 Bob from Kikuyu to dagoretti! — Its about Time! (@georgewan75) November 16, 2020
The idea is okay but the prices will scare most people away. We can't just jump from 40 to 100, it doesn't make sense — Geoffrey Wekesa ???????????????? (@Jefjaica) November 16, 2020
