Expert: Bus rapid transport plan needs a whopping Sh100 billion
An organisation that specialises in transportation planning has estimated that the plan to decongest city centre with a bus rapid transport (BRT) system will cost Sh100 billion.
The Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), which was involved in establishing the BRT in Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg, on Tuesday said that having dedicated lanes for public transport as well as the right vehicles would reduce traffic into and out of the city.
According to Christopher Kost, the Africa director of the institute, for the BRT system to work in Kenya, the bus lanes should be in the centre lanes, must have systems to collect fares before boarding and boarding platforms level with the buses for wheelchair accessibility.
THE EVENT
“We need a dedicated right of way for the buses, not just paint,” said Mr Kost said during the event.
He said that the ITDP has been working with the government to ensure the current roads are designed with a view of implementing the BRT in the next few years.
“Waiyaki Way, which is currently being expanded, is a perfect example of a road that is designed to incorporate the BRT.
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KenHA is aware that there will be BRT and so when the time comes, it will be easy to implement it” Mr Kost said
He added that it would take about 5 to 10 years to build 86km of BRT.