A day after Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko promised reduced parking fees for private motorists to Ksh200,Sonko has come with new directives.
Matatus will no longer enter the Nairobi city centre starting Monday as City Hall moves to effect a ban aimed at decongesting the capital.
The new directive stated that ,”Starting December 3, all matatus from Uhuru Highway, Waiyaki Way, Kiambu, Thika Road, Kipande Road and Limuru Road will pick and drop passengers at Fig Tree in Ngara while all high capacity buses from upcountry will be stationed at Machakos Country bus next to Muthurwa market”.
PSVs plying Mombasa Road and Lang’ata Road will now drop and pick passengers at Hakati terminus while those from Joggo Road will will now terminate at Muthurwa.
All matatus plying Ngong Road will now be expected to stop at Railways.
“Operators are required to take note that the above changes take effect as from 3rd day of December and all previous gazette notices or letters allocating any other place as picking and dropping points within CBD are hereby revoked and become null and void as from 3rd day of December 2018,” read the notice signed by acting County Secretary Pauline Kahiga.
Vehicles that go past Kenol on the Nyeri-Meru-Nairobi road and all upcountry PSVs accessing the city via Waiyaki Way will now now drop and pick passengers from the Park Road terminus.
The latest push by City Hall comes despite past failed attempts at effecting the ban, with transport operators saying the new points outside the city centre lacked enough space for their vehicles and basic amenities like toilets and lighting.
The PSV directive also comes just a day after Governor Mike Sonko promised that his administration would reduce parking fees for private motorists from the current Sh300 down to Sh200 starting December.
“After consultations with various stakeholders, including ward representatives, we have agreed to slash the parking fees in order not to overburden motorists,” Mr Sonko said.
In April, matatu operators had threatened to ground operations if City Hall banned them from the CBD.
In September last year, Sonko was forced to suspend a similar order following backlash from industry stakeholders.
Nairobi remains one of the cities worst hit by traffic congestion in the world according to 2017 Traffic Index.
Will Governor Sonko’s administration manage to implement the new directive after failing the first time?