Traffic, livestock, fuel chaos in Nyeri town

Nyeri town’s efforts to put best foot forward as a vibrant economic hub is increasingly being hampered by a new problem - poor planning.

The roads are chocking with traffic and major streets have been converted into garages and car washes that block the flow of traffic.

The main road leading into the town from Nanyuki and Nyahururu has become a nightmare to motorists and pedestrians, with unregulated garages littering it all the way to the upper bus park.

The same craftsmen have occupied sections of Kanisa Road, 10th Street Road, Kimathi Road as well Gakere Street.

RADICAL PLAN

One-way streets designed to ease traffic flow have been disregarded and now lead to traffic snarl ups as vehicles encounter oncoming traffic.

The traffic problem has been compounded by lack of designated parking for large lorries, which have taken up space in the central business district.

Some streets on the fringes of the town have been entirely taken over by mechanics, who repair vehicles along them, leaving pedestrians and motorists to look for alternative routes.

In the evening, parking slots turn into trading zones and the right to access the walkways becomes a reserve for those who have the might to push their way through.

The town is especially chaotic at night when lorries are parked haphazardly.

In Nyeri, it is unsurprising to see sheep and goats roaming the town at night or donkeys ferrying timber, causing traffic snarl ups right inside the CBD.

Admittedly, the county is in need of a radical plan to reorganise and decongest it.

One such plan said to have been floated by the county government, which involved relocating the hawkers was opposed and later rescinded.

Business people and motorists are now expressing concern over the unplanned and haphazard nature of the region and are worried that it would rob them of business.

Nyeri Chamber of Commerce Chairman Joe Machira said locals have raised their concerns to Governor Mutahi Kahiga. “The governor has also seen the importance of creating an updated plan for the town,” Machira said.

Nyeri needs planning now because in three years, it could become almost impossible to drive into the town. Among plans the county is proposing is introducing traffic marshals and rerouting traffic to bypasses.

In a past interview, Governor Kahiga said there were roads undergoing construction that will offload some of the traffic away from the town at Ruring’u and near Chania bridge on the Nyeri-Nanyuki Highway.

“The plan is to rid the town of traffic jams by having motorists who do not have business in the town use roads on the outskirts of the town,” Kahiga said then.

Machira expressed confidence that the county could effectively tackle the congestion menace.

“We are meeting again over the issue in a week’s time; we are assured that it is an agenda that the governor has and one that he is committed to,” he said.

It is against the law to repair vehicles on the streets and in front of people’s businesses, County Executive in charge of Transport and Infrastructure, Muthui Kariuki told the Saturday Standard.

ROADS TENDERS

His biggest gripe was that mechanics were destroying the tarmac and drainage culverts to create make shift vehicle inspection pits.

“The tarmac in the streets where the garages are wears out fast because oil and fuel spills dissolve the bitumen,” he said.

Angry motorists lament that they are helpless yet no one seems to be controlling the situation.

“How can garages be allowed to operate along the streets? Last week my vehicle got stuck after running over a big stone left behind by the mechanics,” said Henry Kibichu.

Another motorist, Timothy Mutembei lamented lack of traffic control and said the situation gets worse in the evening with no traffic marshals to enforce rules.

But according to county authorities, the current administration has already advertised for re-carpeting of roads and the tenders were under review last week.

They said the congestion is artificial and would be solved if certain streets were re-routed as one-way and some roundabouts were removed.