Commuters in Nairobi are about to suffer big time starting Monday, December 3, 2018 after City Hall announced a plan to ban public service vehicles from the Central Business District in a move to ease congestion in the city.
In a notice published today, the Nairobi county government says it has established 11 termini while declaring null and void all others that had been previously allocated.
“Operators are required to take note that the above changes take effect as from 3rd day of December and all previous gazette notices or letters allocating any other place as picking and dropping points within CBD are hereby revoked and become null and void as from 3rd day of December 2018,” read the notice signed by acting County Secretary Pauline Kahiga.
Nairobi commuters are now furious with the county government led by Governor Mike Sonko as the move will see many of them walk miles to their various destinations from where they will alight.
KOT have taken to the Twitter streets to lament over the move by City Hall which many say beats logic seeing as the county government slashed the parking fees to Ksh. 200 from the current Ksh. 300.
@MikeSonko unafikiria kama kunguni. Congestion is caused by private vehicles not PSVs. One matatu can replace up to 30 personal cars but you imagine banning matatus from Nairobi CBD and lowering parking fees is the solution to decongestion? Is simple logic so hard to grasp?
— K. W. Wamalwa (@WamalwaHimself) November 29, 2018
How do you decongest the city by banning matatus which carry more passengers? They should start by banning personal cars from city centre
— Charles Oginya (@Oginya) November 29, 2018
The hon @MikeSonko, let's reason togerrra here, how does matatus congest the cirry?? Assume, amatatu carrying 30passengers is barred from accessing the cbd, what if this all thirrry people decide to come with their cars? It means private cars conjest the cirry!!
— BIGFISH 🐬 🇰🇪 (@to_Clive) November 29, 2018
The ban of matatus from accessing Nairobi's CBD is laughable!! These private cars are the cause of congestion..
— Jeff Manene (@ManeneJeff) November 29, 2018
Why are they banning matatus in the cbd and yet its personal cars that bring all the congestion. Well being poor is a sport in this country .
— Nyamwange (@sinz_a) November 29, 2018
With the new ban on PSVs in the CBD, matatus from Uhuru Highway, Waiyaki Way, Kiambu, Thika Road, Kipande Road and Limuru Road will pick and drop passengers at Fig Tree in Ngara while all high capacity buses from upcountry will be stationed at Machakos Country bus.
PSVs using Mombasa Road and Lang’ata Road routes will now drop and pick passengers at Hakati terminus while those from Jogoo Road will terminate at Muthurwa. All matatus plying the Ngong Road route will now be expected to stop at Railways.
You might want to be well rested during the weekend and get yourself a good pair of ‘Bata ngomas’ as the walk will surely be long. Do you think the move to ban matatus in the CBD will reduce congestion?