Nairobi — Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has directed the establishment of the Nairobi Transport Committee, a multi-agency body, that will coordinate traffic and mobility planning and management.
Sakaja noted that various agencies dealing with transport and traffic management have been operating in silos and that it is time they pulled together to fix the city's public transport mess.
He said that four other counties that make up the Nairobi Metropolitan Area of Kiambu, Kajiado, Muranga and Machakos have already set up their transport committees.
"We've brought together the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, National Transport and Safety Authority, Kenya Railways, Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) under the Nairobi County Government transport and safety committee to streamline mobility and traffic management in the city," Sakaja stated when he hosted the leaders of the agencies at City Hall.
He emphasised on the need to integrate all functions by the above agencies, saying that there is too much duplication and inefficiency because 'we are not talking to one another.
"For Nairobi to work, transport is key. The last one month that I have been Governor has affirmed to me that it is fully possible to make Nairobi work," the Governor said.
NTSA Director General George Njao who was at the meeting supported the formation of the Nairobi transport committee.
Njao reported that road fatalities have remained highest in Nairobi, mainly on pedestrian walkways and crossings, adding that many areas lack pick-and-drop designated points and this leads to congestion and obstruction of roads.
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NAMATA Acting Director General Francis Gitau said studies had shown that all the five corridors identified for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) are viable and ripe for investment.
Superintendent of Police Boniface Otieno told the meeting that hawkers had blocked many roads, turning dual carriageways into single-lane roads.
In addition, he said police have a challenge managing traffic due to the creation of too many matatu stages that lead to congestion.
He said the Westlands area urgently needs bus stops after the ones previously in use were shut to facilitate construction of the Nairobi Expressway.
Kenya Railways on their part reported that their trains are currently doing 20 round trips per day to the five routes from Central Station to Limuru, Ruiru, Embakasi Village, Syokimau and Lukenya.
The trains charge between Sh35 and Sh100 per trip.
