LGI News: But First, Try Easing Traffic Jams

From the Daily Nation (August 28, 2007)

"AT THE JUST-CONCLUDED annual convention of the Architectural Association of Kenya, Local Government minister Musikari Kombo said the Government would soon appoint a Nairobi Metropolitan Authority to reorganise the city by addressing issues of traffic congestion, uncontrolled developments, pollution and insecurity.

This is welcome news for Kenyans, especially those living in the city who, besides the other hazards, have been experiencing unending traffic jams.
Certainly, there is an urgent need to address the real causes of traffic jams in the city. Any slight disruption of traffic flow ends up causing great inconveniences to motorists and commuters as well.
At some point, the Transport ministry considered decongesting the city centre by doing away with passenger service vehicles that pick and drop passengers within the city centre.

Last year, Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere warned that from March this year, 14-seater matatus were no longer to be licensed to operate in the central business districts of Nairobi and other major towns.

This, however, was not to be. It would not have had significant impact on reducing congestion in the city streets. After all, what have the chaotic traffic jams on Outering, Enterprise or Thika roads, more than five kilometres from the city centre, got to do with 14-seater matatus entering the CBD?
At the turn of the century, Nairobi became Kenya’s capital city. It lived up to its billing as the “City in the Sun”, but the last decade has seen it degenerate.
It is quite obvious that the initial planners of the urban centre had not anticipated the phenomenal growth of the city’s population.

Last year the City Council and the Nairobi Central Business District Association launched a pedestrianisation programme as one of the measures to restore the city’s lost glory. Under the programme, some streets are to be converted into pedestrian-only areas by paving them, and only allowing through traffic.
THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLEted in some streets such as Mama Ngina, and the results are astonishing. Besides the wider pavements, there are litter bins, newly planted trees, street lights and security surveillance devices.
It would be good for Nairobians if the authorities continued implementing such measures, considering that there are not enough parking spaces in the city centre, forcing motorists to park on the narrow streets.

One does not need to wait for the rush hour to notice that on any given day, at even mid-morning or early afternoon, the whole stretch of Moi Avenue between Kencom House and Harambee Avenue junction is turned into a one-lane highway because Citi Hoppa, Kenya Bus and Double M vehicles have to queue on this stretch as they await their turn to pick passengers at the Kencom bus stage.
Suggestions on the way out have been mooted from different quarters. Some have suggested that parking fees be increased for motorists in the city centre to discourage private car owners from coming to town. But without an alternative, isn’t this unfair to private motorists? Maybe we should go back to thinking how best we can use the revamped Rift Valley Railways to help ease the transport crisis in Nairobi.

Its management should seek ways to exploit this opportunity. With comfortably furnished coaches, clear timetables and competitive fares, many Nairobians will opt for this mode of transport."

Mr Owino is the editorial coordinator for ‘Engineering Review’ magazine.