Matatus To Be Kicked Out Of The Nairobi CBD

By Nsunjo Erica

Nairobi’s General Mohammed Badi said that Matatus will no longer be allowed to access the Central Business District (CBD) as from November in a move to reduce the congestion in the city.

Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and National Security, NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi said plans to de-congest the city are being finalized and will be launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta in November.

The general said that the NMS has been working with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), and that bus stations have been built in Ngara and Parklands for all matatus coming from Thika to offload passengers.

Badi also added that all Matatus coming from Machakos and Lang’ata will have a stage at the Railway Golf Club where the Kenya National Highways Authority (KenHA) will build an expressway.

The bus rapid transit (BRT) system will also be operational by the end of this month according to the general and will be used to transport passengers from the train stations to their various destinations.

The 1.6 billion shillings buses (BRT) from South Africa were announced to arrive in Kenya by the transport cabinet secretary James Macharia in January. According to Macharia, the buses have to conform to the KS-372 body-building standards developed by the Kenya Bureau of Standards.

The BRT corridors are to be marked by red lines. Line 1 is to run from James Gichuru Road/Waiyaki Way to JKIA, a distance of 20kms.

Line 2, which is 31kms long, will run from Lang’ata Road to Ngong Road, Juja Road, Komarock Road to Ruiru. It will have major stops at Dandora, Kariobangi, and near the Gikomba market.

Line 3 will run from Githurai through Thika Road to Moi Avenue in the CBD and terminate at Kenyatta National Hospital. Line 4 will cover 14km from T-Mall to Jogoo Road while Line 5 will cover Outering Road.