Battle looms over new plan to restrict matatus into Nairobi city centre

Matatu Welfare Association chairman Dickson Mbugua said the council 'appears not be learning from the current situation.’

“Decongestion cannot be wished away but the authorities need to look at all perspectives and have a strategic plan before they start implementing any ideas they think will help,” said Mr Mbugua.

He said both Westlands and Kariokor stages are not enough for holding grounds for the matatus as they await their turn to ferry passengers.

Plans to decongest Nairobi have been complicated by the poor relationship between the council and the Nairobi Metropolitan ministry.

Both MADCOWA and MWA said the two government agencies should work together to come up with a proper solution to Nairobi’s poor transport sector.

MADCOWA said the development of the 'park and ride’ concept would help to reduce the number of vehicles on the capital’s roads.
Under the concept, car parks would be developed off major corridors into the city centre where private motorists park their vehicles and board buses using special jam-free lanes into the city.

At Kariokor and Westlands, the people who currently man the parks said they are already too small. Joseph Mungai, an organiser for route 48 matatus, told the Nation the park is already too small for the 50 vehicles already there.

The park at Kariokor is currently used by stall owners and customers and also appears incapable of holding the estimated 300 matatus plying the Thika route.

George Ngugi, a car wash attendant at Kariokor, said the park is usually full on week days and the washers have as a result been pushed to the nearby roundabout, from which they operate, albeit illegally.

Mr Mbugua proposed the acquisition of the entire Muthurwa estate for the construction of a mega bus park that would accommodate most Public Service Vehicles.