Wednesdays, Saturdays Proposed as Car-Free Days for CBD, Westlands

The Nairobi County Government has issued an update on car-free days to be introduced in the Central Business District (CBD) and Westlands.

Wednesdays and Saturdays have been proposed as the days when motorists will have to give up their vehicles.

Nairobi CEC member in charge of Roads Mohamed Dagane disclosed that the move aims to encourage more people to use public transport.

“We need to shift from the idea using our own vehicles coming to town every day, because you find more than three million of cars coming to the CBD and each one of them is not carrying more than one passenger,” he explained.

The plan is being executed in collaboration with the national government through the Nairobi Regeneration team co-chaired by Governor Mike Sonko and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala.

[caption caption="Governor Mike Sonko"][/caption]

In a press briefing on April 15th, Statehouse spokesperson Manoah Esipisu backed the move as he reiterated commitments President Uhuru Kenyatta had received from the team.

Dagane further revealed that a plan to get all matatus (Public Service Vehicles) out of the CBD would be effected from the end of June.

The move which has been pushed forward several times, Dagane explained, was being held back by the upgrading of bus termini which was now complete.

He further announced that the full launch of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) plan would be done pending availability of 39 more buses.

In addition, Dagane maintained that a traffic management committee would be put in place while automation of bus termini and improvement of non-motorized travel would be swiftly executed.

[caption caption="Mohamed Dagane"][/caption]