BRT buses allowed access to Airport South Road
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has reopened the Airport South Road that has been closed for nearly six years, but it will only be used by Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) buses.
KeNHA Director-General Eng. Peter Mundinia in a notice said that the road which has been closed since February 2014, was opened last week for passengers who will use the JKIA Express route.
“The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) wishes to notify the general public that further to the closure of the section of the Airport South Road between Outering Road/ Airport North Road Overpass and Freight Terminal Road Roundabout on February 20, 2014, pursuant to Cap 403 71 (1) of the Traffic Act.
The road section is now open to only Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) buses with effect from December 7, 2020,”said Mundinia.
Kenya Railways, through the Nairobi Commuter Rail Service, last week commissioned operations for the new railway link from the city centre to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Transport CS James Macharia, while commissioning the new link, said air travellers will now avoid the traffic snarl-up on Mombasa road in a move that will see passengers dropped at the Embakasi Railway Station from where a courtesy bus will pick them and ferry them to JKIA.
“Commuters will be able to catch a train from the Nairobi Railway Station up to the Embakasi Village Railway Station after which they will then be ferried through the Airport South Road which has been dedicated to the Nairobi Commuter Rail Bus also referred to as the Bus Rapid Transit Vehicles,” the CS said.
The distance between JKIA and Nairobi city centre is 20km, and travel should take between 30 minutes to less than an hour.
However, it takes up to two hours due to traffic on the usually busy Mombasa Road.
The Nairobi Commuter Rail Service to JKIA journey will entail a ride on the new Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) undertaken in conjunction with the Kenya Airport Authority (KAA).
The service will see passengers dropped at the Embakasi Railway Station from where a bus will pick them up and ferry them to the JKIA.
Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Maingi said passengers who will use the JKIA Express route will have to part with Sh500 for each train ride.