By standard team
Chaos and confusion are expected in the Nairobi today as the City Council embarks on relocating some Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) stops.
The council announced last week some PSVs would be relocated to Westlands, Kariokor, Central Park and Railway Bus termini in an effort to decongest Central Business District streets and parking.
But the Matatu Owners Association (MOA) and Kenya for Justice and Development have opposed the move until an alternative means of transport within the CBD is found.
They argued the move would affect businesses and create confusion.
Matatu Owners Association claim private vehicles, not matatus, are to blame for city street chaos as they carry few passengers. |
"We have not agreed on the way forward and I was shocked when the mayor announced the council will ban some of the matatus from accessing the CBD," said Simon Kimutai of MOA. Mr Kimutai said there is no space for the PSV operators at the places they will be relocated to accusing the council of insensitivity.
Ban private cars
Kenya for Justice and Development official Neto Agostino termed the plans elitist and discriminatory, wondering if the measures being advocated will not create reverse congestion.
"Must they protect the interests of an oligarchy controlling public transport in the city by assuring them a market at all costs?" he asked.
Mr Agostino instead asked the authorities to ban private cars from the city centre and encourage PSVs to do so because they carry more people per vehicle.
He said cars account for congestion because they require parking space for eight hours.
He said his group and other interested parties plan to hold a public forum on the same, as there was no consultation before the decision was arrived at.
A spot check by The Standard established no available spaces were available where PSVs are to be moved.
The council plans to introduce private shuttle buses that will pick and drop passengers from the areas.
Nairobi Metropolitan Development Minister Robinson Githae said at the weekend his ministry had taken up the duties of decongesting the city after the council failed to do so. He said he has no quarrel with the Mayor of Nairobi Geoffrey Majiwa over plans to ease traffic in the city.
"Our mandates are different, and we know this, our ministry was put up to advice and intervene where the City Council is unable or unwilling to act," the minister said.
Two months
He said the plan to deal with traffic congestion in the city was arrived at by a technical committee comprising officers from the city council, his ministry, the ministry of roads and other stakeholders.
The minister announced he had given the city council two months to implement the decongestion plan failure to which his ministry will intervene.
