Communtors using Thika superhighway will have to wait for a minimum of eight months for the traffic jam to be eased on the highway.
This is according to Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority CEO who said the demarcation and remodeling of the highway to accommodate bus transit is expected to tea about eight month minimum but go no further than 12 months.
“The project is under implementation. We have a company already developing the corridor from concept design to detailed design,” Gitau said.
While the project will be going on motorists will be remaining with fewer lines to use leading to heavy traffic along the busy Nairobi highway.
The Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (Namata) was established by President Uhuru Kenyatta on February 9,2017. It cover Nairobi and the neighbouring counties such as Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos and Murang’a counties.
It function was to come up with an integrated, efficient, effective, and sustainable public transport system.
In July a Chinese firm secured the Sh5.6 billion contract to construct special lanes for high capacity buses.
The buses will be operating between Thika Superhighway and Nairobi City center and Kenyatta National Hospital.
BRT is a reliable mode of commutor transport that is aimed at decongesting the Central Business District , ease transport woes, reduce travel time, and reduce air pollution.
The project is estimated to cost taxpayer around Sh2 billion annually.
The project will be taken in two pahses under one contract. The first phase will be between Clayworks to the Nairobi CBD while the second section will begin from Clayworks to Ruiru.
Namata CEo said the fare collection system will also be established. “Passengers will pay before they board,” Gitau said.
Gitau stated that once the corridor is complete, close to 100 buses will be deployed.
The buses will be easy to access by children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. They will be fitted with an intelligent transport system as well as a technology that allows for cashless systems.
The government is also planning to import 11 units of commuter railways to add to the BRT and they are expected to arrive in the country by September.
According to Gitau the program delivery units is working towards integrating BRT with the railway.
The delivery units involves Kanha, Kura, NMS, Namata, and Kenya Railways.
So far the government has identified five corridors in its plan to decongest Nairobi roads.
Line 1 with a distance of 20km will run from James Gichuru and Waiyaki way Junction to Kenyatta International Airport.
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Line 2 will run from Lang’ata Road to Ngong Road, Juja Road, Komarcok Road to Ruiru with major stops at Dandora, kariobangi and the Gikomba market, a distance of 31km.
Line 3 will start from Githurai through Thika Road to Moi Avenue in the CBD, terminating at Kenyatta Nationa Hospital.
Line 3 will run from Githurai through Thika Road to Moi Avenue in the CBD, terminating at Kenyatta National Hospital.
