MCAs want new PSV pick up and dropping zones in the CBD developed

The County Assembly of Nairobi has a passed a motion seeking to remove all on-street picking and dropping zones by the PSVs and bodabodas within the Central Business District (CBD).

This comes after concerns have been raised on how the PSVs have illegally turned most streets, pedestrian walkways and on-street parking within the city centre into bus stops and parking slots.

In a motion moved by Woodley MCA Mwangi Njihia, the ward rep noted that in the recent years the city have witnessed a marked increase in the number of PSVs plying various routes in Nairobi.

“We are concerned that most streets, pedestrian walkways and on-street parking in the city centre have been illegally turned into bus stops and parking slots for public service vehicles, which has led to increased congestion and accidents including deaths to pedestrians,” he stated.

Subsequently, the ward reps want the Nairobi Metropolitan Service to revert all the existing designated bus termini and develop a comprehensive policy on allocation of parking, picking and dropping zones for PSVs.

With the last allocation of the parking, picking and dropping zones done in 2000, numerous zones have developed across the CBD contributed to the traffic snarl-ups and congestion.

“The designated bus termini are everywhere; look at the bus station, Kencom, GPO, commercial, Koja. Now we have the area around Nazarene University CBD campus where PSVs plying routes 125 and 111 have taken over and are now using as their permanent parking, picking and dropping zones,” Njihia explained.

City Hall has over the years has been overwhelmed attempting to decongest the CBD.

In September 2017, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko banned matatus from accessing the CBD.

Since then the ban has been suspended twice, due to logistical issues as pointed out earlier by City Hall.

Various matatu termini had been outlined by Sonko which would be used as holding grounds once the ban is implemented.

Muranga Road Fig tree A, Fig tree B, Desai Road, Park Road, Ngara Road, Hakati, Railway, Machakos country bus and Central Bus Station were some of the termini outlined.

In August 2018, City Hall had issued an order to have only two PSVs per Sacco allowed in the CBD at any hour.

However, the directive failed to materialise with the Matatu Welfare Association noting it was necessary to introduce new measures to accompany the order.

Having two PSVs per Sacco at the designated pick-up and drop-off points is meant to improve traffic flow within the city centre.

The same year, the National Government announced the introduction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that was set to decongest traffic in the CBD.

The national government and City Hall were said to be partnering to implement an integrated transport system that uses both trains and the BRT buses.

The five BRT corridors in Nairobi were to reduce traffic congestion in the city centre and facilitate easy movement of passengers.

However, up to date the BRT plan has never been implemented.

The BRT corridors include Limuru-Kangemi-CBD-Imara Daima –Athi River to Kitengela road.

Other motorways identified are Rongai, Bomas-CBD-Ruiru-Thika- Kenol-Murang’a road and Tala-Njiru-Dandora–CBD-Ngong road.

The fourth line will run from Mama Lucy Hospital-Doonholm to the CBD while the final line also referred to as ‘Nyati’ will start from Ridgeways on Kiambu road to Balozi and end up in Imara Daima.

The corridors are expected to hold up to 950 high capacity buses.