Nairobi residents have been grappling with heavy traffic and hiked fares in recent weeks following rainfall that has pounded several parts of the country.
Getting to work in the morning and going back home in the evening has been a nightmare but one man has offered the perfect solution to this.
Gaston Wabomba is the brains behind Merlin Ride Comfort, a company that has vans which pick and drop passengers who live in the same area at a monthly or weekly fee.
By subscribing to the service, passengers are guaranteed of transport to and from work at a fixed weekly charge of Ksh 800 or a monthly fee of Ksh 3000.
[caption caption="Inside the Merlin Rides"]
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The new plan is aimed at reducing the amount of money commuters spend on transport as well as reducing traffic since a group of around 12 people can fit in the van.
Currently, the vans mostly operate in Kasarani, Kahawa West and Roysambu but the CEO intends to expand it to other areas soon.
The designated pick up times in the morning are 6 am and 8 am and in the evening, the van picks the passengers at the same spot they were dropped in the CBD at 5.30 pm and 7 pm.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Wabomba stated that the business is not profit-oriented as it just aims at helping commuters who are tired of the matatu menace.
"In the past few weeks, matatus have been charging more than Ksh 100 for fairly short distances. We saw it wise to solve this problem for commuters.
"Our plan is cheaper and safer. We have designated drivers and payments are made in cash or banker's cheques," he stated.
Asked if he was ready to battle with several saccos plying those routes, Wabomba maintained that he was not out to compete but to help.
"A few heads will turn but we are focused on delivering quality service," he added.
[caption caption="Photo of the Matatu"]
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