Passengers to enjoy bus rides more as firm pumps Sh312m into fleet

Tahmeed launched new buses on November 24 2017. The buses have similar characteristics with the current Standard Gauge Railway. [Photo by Kelvin Karani/Standard]

Passengers preferring to travel by bus across the region will now enjoy first-class rides courtesy of Tahmed Bus Company. This is after the firm launched 12 VIP buses over the festive season.

The company has injected Sh312 million into the 37-seater buses in a bid to compete with the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train that has seen a dwindling number of passengers preferring to travel by bus.

Bus firms are facing stiff competition from the SGR service train that carries about 1,200 passengers per trip.

Tahmeed launched new buses on November 24 2017. The buses have similar characteristics with the current Standard Gauge Railway. [Photo by Kelvin Karani/Standard]

Tahmed Operations Manager Kiplangat Ng’eno said the new luxury buses will see all passengers enjoy first-class ride and service at no extra cost.

“We aim to compete with the SGR, we also want to please our customers. So we have introduced 12 VIP bus units at a cost of Sh26 million each. The passengers will be paying the same flat uniform fare without discrimination,” said Ng’eno.

The new buses will continue to ply the Nairobi-Mombasa route with new routes opening across the East Africa, including Nairobi-Kampala and Nairobi- Kigali.

The manager said the buses will be serviced by two drivers and a hostess. Mr Ng’eno said their fares will range between Sh1, 500 to Sh1, 700 per person from Mombasa to Nairobi.

Tahmed Director Abdulrahman Shatry said they have taken their drivers for further training to curb road carnage.