Govt Renews BRT Bus Project After Stalling

The lane on Thika Super Highway BRT lane.
The lane on Thika Super Highway BRT lane.
Photo
Ma3Route

The government has invested more funds towards the renewal of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system project that will link Thika Road and Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD). 

Media reports indicated that the state has pumped more funds into the introduction of solar and electric vehicle charging hubs across the country in a bid to revive the stalled the BRT project. 

This will also see the government adapt electric bus units for the BRT system. The government had introduced charging stations in various locations including Naivasha and plans are in place to increase them in all major cities across the country.

Bus Rapid Transit buses manufactured by Isuzu East Africa
Bus Rapid Transit buses manufactured by Isuzu East Africa
File

One of the representatives of a local vehicle leasing company affirmed that the introduction of various charging stations made it easier for Kenyans to adopt electric vehicles in general. 

The representative added that the company is investing over Ksh100 million for the importation of electric and solar-powered automobiles. 

"As the world grapples with climate change, carbon emissions, low-level motorization and increased congestion, Kenya is poised to shift the paradigm with electric vehicles. 

"We expect to have about 2,000 units of electric and solar-powered automobiles here for the Kenyan market in the next 36 months," the representative stated. 

A section of the transport stakeholders had advocated for the government to add incentives to encourage use of electric automobiles.

Initially, a report by World Bank revealed that Kenya's BRT system had flopped due to poor systematic policies that saw investors shy away from the Ksh100 billion project. 

"Unregulated competition from paratransit operators (informal buses, minibuses and taxis, etc), the difficulty of finalizing compensation deals and acrimonious relationships between paratransit operators and the government in SSA affect system revenue," the World Bank report read in part.

However, with the project seemingly hanging in the balance, Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (Namata) acting Director General, Francis Gitau, affirmed that the BRT project was still in place and would be completed by end of August. The government had initially projected for the project to be completed by the end of February 2022. 

"We have already embarked on the importation of buses and operational lease for the testing phase," Gitau previously stated. 

A Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) station under construction along Thika Road at Safari Park footbridge
A Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) station under construction along Thika Road at Safari Park footbridge
Photo
KeNHA