Talk about comebacks. Matatu owners in Nairobi have vowed to defy Governor Mike Sonko’s ban on PSVs entering Nairobi central business district.
Speaking to the press, Matatu Owners Association (MOA) chair Simon Kimutai declared that the vehicles will dock at their usual termini come Monday.
He stated that the county government’s proposed termini do not have the capacity to hold the 16,000 PSVs estimated to be operating in Nairobi daily.
Kimutai also faulted Sonko’s administration for not installing basic amenities required at the stops such as lighting and toilets for drivers and conductors.
Fig Tree terminus A is designated to hold vehicles from Waiyaki Way and Uhuru Highway as the Muthurwa Market bus stage is set aside for all PSVs plying the Jogoo Road and Lusaka road routes.
The MOA official held that the two termini would be overwhelmed given the number of vehicles that operate on the two routes.
He further warned that the cramming up of matatus in the new zones may result in more congestion, which the county administration is attempting to ease.
“We have over 1,000 vehicles coming into the city centre on Waiyaki Way and another 2,000 on Jogoo Road.
“We can’t go there because there will be a serious traffic congestion in the city,” Kimutai explained.
On his part, Nairobi Transport CEC Mohamed Dagane noted that all matatus will only be given five minutes to pick and drop passengers.
Acting County Secretary Pauline Kahiga-Waititu published the ban notice on Thursday revoking a previous letter from Sonko which allowed the matatus back into the CBD after he issued two previous ban notices.