Nairobi County bans taxis from parking in CBD
Nairobi Council askaris clamp a taxi on Kimathi Street on January 28, 2016. The county has kicked taxi operators from parking slots in the CBD. PHOTO | JAMES EKWAM | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- There are over 4,000 taxis in Nairobi and they are required to pay a daily parking fee of Sh300 or Sh6,000 monthly.
- The crackdown targeted taxis parked on Kimathi Street , Kenyatta Avenue, Moi Avenue, and Koinange and Muindi Mbingu streets.
Nairobi City County has banned taxi operators from occupying parking slots in the city centre.
The county said no parking slots would be reserved for the taxi operators.
County Chief Administrator John Ntoiti said taxis had been occupying most of the parking spaces in the city centre and contributed to congestion.
“Go to Mombasa and other major cities, taxis do not park the whole day in a designated area,” said Mr Ntoiti.
City Hall on Thursday clamped a number of taxis parked in the city centre and towed some away over non-payment of parking fees.
There are over 4,000 taxis in Nairobi and they are required to pay a daily parking fee of Sh300 or Sh6,000 monthly.
Mr Ntoiti said most of the operators had not paid parking fees since the beginning of the year, denying the county government revenue.
A taxi operator, who did not want to be named, claimed taxi drivers had been giving the county’s parking attendants Sh100 daily.
"We pay them Sh100 every day but we are never given receipts," said the operator.
County Finance Executive Gregory Mwakanongo said all public service vehicles are required to pay monthly parking fees.
The crackdown targeted taxis parked on Kimathi Street, Kenyatta Avenue, Moi Avenue, and Koinange and Muindi Mbingu streets.
