Token fee to be charged to use Green Park terminal
A fee will be charged to access to certain services at the newly-built Green Park terminus in Nairobi, Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has said.
The token fee will be levied on traders selling their wares at the terminal, use of ablution blocks as well as advertisement spaces at the terminus, among others.
NMS Transport and Public Works Director Engineer Michael Ochieng said the fee will be used to sustain the Sh200 million terminal to be used as drop-off and pick-up point for matatus plying the Ngong and Lang’ata roads route.
Eng. Ochieng said the token fee, which is being developed by stakeholders, will enable the terminal operate itself in a sustainable manner rather than as a commercial enterprise.
The fee will involve maintaining a clean environment, fumigation and safety measures by a management team that will be tasked with managing the terminus.
He said the park must be maintained to very high standards and this can only be achieved by charging the token fee to ensure it is sustainable.
“The park will operate a certain fee, a token fee, which enables its sustainability. It will translate to what activities will be within the park, what traders will sell, use of the ablution blocks, among others,” he said.
“If I put an ablution block to be completely free you are killing it. How will it be sustained? We have the toilets in the CBD where people pay and the money is used to keep the place clean and pay those who keep it clean,” Eng Ochieng added.
He, however, said the payment model will be implemented in a way in which some people pay cash while others, like the physically challenged and elderly, use toilets free of charge.
The director said the fee is still being designed by experts who will then inform NMS of the agreed upon fee which will then be shared with relevant stakeholders for concurrence.
“It is under consideration and we are yet to finalise on it. Once finalise, we shall make it public where the Director General Major General Mohamed Badi will announce the same at some certain stage,” he said.
He pointed out that the terminus has a lot of advertisement spaces which can be used to generate income for the park to avoid having to allocate funds for its maintenance.
He added that the Green Park village will also play host to a number of businesses, financial systems and eateries that can also be charged a token fee.
“These are some of the things we are putting into consideration to see how the park can generate its own sustaining fee and when the decision has been made the public shall be informed,” Eng Ochieng said.
Despite being a matatu terminus, different amenities will be available to commuters and matatu crew including a dispensary, supermarket, restaurant and a commuter sitting bay.
Two ablution blocks have already been set up at the terminus, one at the drop-off point and another at the pick-up area.
A business center with a restaurant near the entrance of the terminus will soon be set up as well as traders allocated some space at the terminus to sell their wares.
To ensure there is security at the park, a police station has already been built to provide a safe environment for commuters and matatu operators.