Khoja matatu stage to be phased out
City Hall plans to do away with the Khoja matatu stage as part of ongoing efforts to decongest Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
Matatus using the stage as their holding ground will now be routed to the space at Globe Roundabout.
Nairobi County Roads and Transport chief officer Engineer Frederick Karanja explained that the plan, which will be rolled out after proper consultation with stakeholders, is intended to do away with the gridlock experienced in the area as matatus enter and exit the stage.
“We are planning to get rid of the Khoja/Old Nation House matatu stage and have all the matatus using that stage have their holding grounds on the land at Globe roundabout, which has been acting as a holding ground for buses,” said Mr Karanja on Wednesday.
Mr Karanja was responding to concerns by Nairobi MCAs on what other plans that the county government have in place to rein on congestion within the CBD.
ONE-WAY STREET
Transport Committee chairman James Mwangi had raised concerns of whether the county was planning to have more streets rehabilitated like Luthuli Avenue which has been converted into a one-way street with the committee raising concerns over disorganized matatu operators of routes leading outside Nairobi.
Last month, the county government embarked on the wider plan to decongest the city with the first project being the transformation of Luthuli Avenue into a one-way street with vehicles using the avenue exit the CBD via River Road.
The same transformation was to be replicated in six more congested streets and avenues in the city centre turning them into one-way streets.
Mr Karanja stated that the county will not allow any matatus back in Luthuli Avenue as it will remain a pedestrians’ walkway as part of plans to create more walkways in the streets within CBD.
MATATU TERMINI
“We want to ensure matatus move out of the CBD with time and make good use of the termini outside,” he said.
He also urged the MCAs to initiate talks with Kenya Railways in order to acquire a piece of land in Ngara for the purpose of the county government putting up a bus termini as part of the decongestion plans.
“Kenya Railways has a piece of land in Ngara area and you could help us acquire it by engaging the government agency’s management so that we can see how it can be occupied by matatus in Nairobi,” he said.
The committee also complained of the increasing numbers of private vehicles parking haphazardly on road sides with vehicles parking near Afya Centre being on the spotlight.
However, City Hall Director of Parking Mr Tom Tinega said that the county has not designated any stage for the private cars.