Government’s decision on Car free days remains in balance after the transport ministry made a U-turn sighting security issues. In a statement issued on Wednesday 30th January, the Transport C.S James Macharia said essential security measures had not been sorted therefore the car free days will be on hold until further notice.
Held consultations with the Ministry of Transport, The Nairobi Traffic Commander, Nairobi County Govt and hawkers representatives on the proposed “car-free” days. I have advised them to put off the exercise to allow for better planning and proper public participation. pic.twitter.com/C82rGxfzft
— Sakaja Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) January 30, 2019
He stressed that that the Capture of all Bio metric data of all traders is still ongoing thereby delaying the proposed deal for a bit longer. The directive which was announced by the Transport P.S Paul Maringa early this week had barred all vehicles from accessing the Nairobi CBD on every Wednesday and Saturday effective February 2019, leaving people to walk to work and only those with bicycles with exception of emergency vehicles and police vans.
Why should CS Macharia turn down Isuzu's offer of Ksh 12million per BRT only to go and import similar buses at an inflated price of Ksh 25million from South Africa? A very shameless and incompetent man!!
Nairobi cbd#Nairobi pic.twitter.com/1nzzVCult3
— NOBLE SOUL (@noblesoull) January 29, 2019
This news will not sound sweet for the hawkers who had been privileged to take up city streets and parking sites to sell off their goods. All these are attempts to bar vehicles from accessing the city centre during the trial of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
This is the second time attempts to de-congest Nairobi CBD fall on a hard rock following a similar order by the Nairobi city Governor mike Sonko to ban Matatus that saw commuters Walk to work in December last year was turned down with public criticisms.
#nairobiCBD#NairobiCBD I hope this car free days will be inclusive of hawa watu wa police escort.👮🚓🚓. With the CS leading by example 😁
Watembeeee ama aje wananchi??— Klinte_moses_mooz_ (@MosesMooz) January 28, 2019