Government Announces Car-Free Days in Nairobi CBD

Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) James Macharia on Monday announced a proposal to have motorists prohibited from entering the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) on two days of the week.

Speaking during the update on the progress of the high capacity buses, the Transport CS stated that starting February 1, Wednesdays, and Saturdays would be set aside as car-free days in the CBD.



According to Macharia, the exercise will allow hawkers to use the streets during the two days.

Organised car-free days are held in various cities across the world where motorists are encouraged to give up their vehicles and have been institutionalized in some areas making it compulsory.

In Kigali, Rwanda for instance, it was introduced in mid-2016 and takes place on the first Sunday of every month.

The move is meant to tackle pollution, promote non-motorized transport and encourage physical exercise.

Macharia also revealed that the first batch of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was ready for shipment and would see 64 buses arrive from South Africa in February.

The BRT project is set to ease congestion in the city, with specific lanes being set aside for free flow of the buses.

The buses are to be deployed on the already-marked Thika Super Highway and other major roads within the capital, Nairobi.

The BRT vehicles are expected to ferry a range of between 62 to 100 passengers in one trip with a speed limit of 60 kph.

 

According to the CS, the 64 buses would cost approximately Ksh1.6 billion with one valued at Ksh 25 million.

The government had planned acquisition of the high-capacity buses from local assemblers but opted to ship them from South Africa after local fabricators of passenger service vehicle bodies failed to meet the required specifications.