County bans buses from town centre

PSV buses will not be allowed into Kisumu Central Business District from January.

The move is part of the efforts put in place by governor Anyang’ Nyong’o to restore sanity in the city and bring an order to a rogue transport sector that has given authorities a headache for several years.

It is also aimed at breathing life into the newly-built Nyamasaria bus park that is yet to be occupied despite attempts to compel matatu operators to shift their base to the park.

“Notice is hereby given to bus companies operating within the CBD to relocate out of town as from January 1, 2021,” read the notice by Acting City Manager Abala Wanga.

This is a blow to big bus companies plying the Kampala-Kisumu-Nairobi route that have established their offices within the CBD.

“Take further notice that in the event of non-compliance within the stipulated timeframe, the county government itself shall move and tow or cause to tow all the buses,” said Wanga.

Questions however remain as to whether other categories of transport vehicles will also be banned from the CBD.

Controversies continue to surround the planned relocation of all PSVs from the main bus park to Nyamasaria, which is located in the outskirts of the town.

Early this year, the county was forced to shelve the plans after an attempt to force out the vehicles resulted in chaos over the control of the bus park.