Nairobi plans to bar upcountry PSVs from city centre
Public transport vehicles plying up-country routes will be barred from the Central Business District (CBD) in yet another city decongestion plan.
The new move comes as diversion of heavy trucks to the Southern Bypass begins to ease traffic on city roads.
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has given a committee headed by County Transport Executive Mohamed Abdullahi 30 days to come up with a relocation plan for bus termini located within the CBD.
“We will need to sit with all of them (upcountry operators) within the 30 days to come up with a viable relocation plan,” Mr Abdullahi said.
“The stops in the city are meant to be pick up and drop passengers and this move will only leave those that operate within the city’s routes.”
The buses will have to relocate to alternative sites outside the city with Mr Abdullahi saying that within the period they will be looking at potential termination points.
PLAN FLOOPED IN 2009
The plan to bar upcountry PSVs from entering the CBD is not new. It was introduced in 2009 by the City Hall but flopped after it was strongly resisted by the operators.
Matatus operating on 18 routes to upcountry destinations were to end their journeys at Westlands.
The latest relocation plan will however be on a larger scale with all upcountry routes covered.
There are three main roads through which upcountry traffic gets to the CBD—Waiyaki Way, Mombasa Road and Thika Road— meaning that the county government will have to come up with at least three major termini.
This is one of City Hall’s multi-pronged approach to decongesting the city.
From last Sunday, heavy commercial trucks were barred from entering the city centre and will now have to use the Southern Bypass.
Mr Mohamed said re-opening of the road has created options for drivers who do not have to come to the CBD.