Ban small cars from city centre and introduce trains to beat congestion

The announcement by Mayor Godfrey Majiwa on the rearrangement of public transport system in Nairobi was not serious at all.

It being a roadside declaration and its rejection by major players in the sector go a long way to show that consultations were very limited, if any. All players, including government, the public, planners and investors must be involved if this process is to succeed.

Removing public means of transport from the city centre while allowing in private cars will be counterproductive. The reasoning is simple, most private cars will carry a maximum of five passengers while occupying the same space as a matatu that carries 14 passengers. This move will punish those who have personal cars but opt to use public transport to bring them onto our roads.

For those without personal cars, it will either mean an extra distance to walk or some more money for an extra trip. This is utterly inconveniencing not to mention that it will reduce people’s productivity while increasing their commuting costs.

The key to this problem will only start and end with an efficient public transport system. This includes high capacity buses and trains. Private cars, and not public service vehicles, should be terminated outside the CBD. These people should then be able to use the public transport services to and from their places of work.

The government should thus start by only registering capacity PSVs and creating incentives for phasing out smaller matatus. Then, trains must be revived. No sane city in the world has been able to exist without an efficient mass transportation system – the train. If we sort out our train issues, we will be halfway towards solving this problem.

Then, with improved roads and a 24 hour economy that spreads working hours through and through, we may bid farewell to the regular congestion in the city centre.


Published in the Daily Nation of 26th August, 2009.