Matatu ban conundrum: Let’s bite the bullet, expand facilities

Heavy traffic on a Nairobi road. Matatus may contribute to congestion but at least they ferry several passengers at a time. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • A comprehensive, holistic and seamless plan must be put in place to provide transport to the people who have to go the CBD for work or essential services.

  • It is estimated that Nairobi loses around Sh60 million a day in productivity and wasted fuel. Any dent in that figure would quickly justify the expense.

Last week’s aborted ban on matatus from the centre of Nairobi was an exercise in futility. It was a knee-jerk reaction that created more chaos and congestion than the traffic jams it sought to end.

The reason is simple: To allow more passenger cars on the road is to invite gridlock. Matatus may contribute to congestion but at least they ferry several passengers at a time. And they make up just over a quarter of the vehicles on the road. Most private cars are not full; many just have one or two passengers. They make up a third of the vehicles in the city centre.

Nairobi is not just the capital of Kenya; it is a regional hub for eastern Africa and hosts many conferences and meetings as a result. This, in turn, attracts a mass of human and vehicular traffic. More than half of all newly registered private cars are likely to be driven in Nairobi and its environs to feed this monumental demand.

PRODUCTIVE TIME

Public transport is largely by matatu. This may be a more efficient use of our roads than private vehicles but its volumes contribute to congestion. Putting the two together inevitably results in massive slowdowns, often turning into gridlock and the loss of millions of hours of productive time.

Whilst many private entities have moved out of the central business district, most government departments are headquartered there. One cannot avoid going to the CBD often, especially in search of goods and services offered by the national or county government.

The layout of Nairobi has always made the city prone to congestion. Only 12 percent of its land is allocated to streets and roads yet an average capital city requires 30 percent or more.

JOINT VENTURE

Secondly, many streets do not connect to the relevant vicinities; so, getting to and from a facility is often a complex and lengthy exercise.

Remedying this inherent problem means allocating more land for streets and roads. Among the several steps necessary is involving the national or metropolitan legislation or both. Where possible, one would use public land owned by the county or national government. Where it is privately owned, a joint venture would be necessary.

The benefit for the private seller is that adjacent land values would appreciate significantly. A good example of this is how the value of land adjacent to the Thika Superhighway has soared following its expansion.

This perennial flaw must be tackled. It is equivalent to conducting major surgery rather than give palliative medication. The problem is that it is a longer-term solution that will take time and involve considerable investment.

KEY JUNCTIONS

In the meantime, a number of remedial measures can be taken to help mitigate the congestion. One is to create bus stations outside the city centre at key junctions on the main roads — such as Adams Arcade, Galleria, Kangemi and City Cabanas — and allow only shuttle buses ferrying people to and from these junctions and the CBD.

Another would be to have a comprehensive light rail system from the relevant estates and suburbs to the CBD. The Syokimau-city centre rail route is a good example. This would involve upgrading or reviving a number of existing rail routes.

The catch is that it would require a lot of investment in existing and new infrastructure. But the beauty of this idea is that a number of these routes already exist, even if they have fallen into disrepair.

SH60 MILLION

With this alternative road and rail infrastructure in place, one can then ban private vehicles from entering the city centre.

A comprehensive, holistic and seamless plan must be put in place to provide transport to the people who have to go the CBD for work or essential services.

While costly, the decongestion plan would have massive economic benefits. It is estimated that Nairobi loses around Sh60 million a day in productivity and wasted fuel. Any dent in that figure would quickly justify the expense.

Mr Shaw is an economic and public policy analyst. [email protected].