Matatu Saccos plying the Western, Nyanza, and Rift Valley routes, have been granted a reprieve after High Court issued orders barring the move to Green Park Terminus.
In the court ruling, the decision was reached until the case was determined on December 13, 2022.
The move was initially set to commence on Thursday, December 1 following a directive from Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
The governor, who met Saccos and other transport stakeholders on Friday, November 18, 2022, at Charter Hall, noted that the move would ease traffic in the Central Business District.
"All PSV SACCOs and PSV companies offering services between Nyanza, Western, North Rift, South Rift, and Central Rift who are currently operating from Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) will be relocated to the Green Park Terminus in the first phase," the notice read in part.
Travel operators, however, opposed the move and moved to court to challenge the directive.
In the petition, the operators claimed that the order exposed them to huge losses and would inconvenience those who traveled with heavy luggage, especially during the festive season.
Among the petitioners included Blue line, Team Swat, North Rift Luxury Shuttle, Madaraka Prestige, Transline, Great Rift Shuttle, Legacy Luxury, Kina 2015 Classic, Sasaline Classic Shuttle and Transliner Galaxy.
Sakaja's directive was influenced by a special team that was formed on November 20, 2022, to streamline the county's transport system.
The team comprised various transport stakeholders in a bid to ensure effective traffic management in the city.
"We’ve brought together the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, National Transport and Safety Authority, Kenya Railways, Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) under the Nairobi County Government transport and safety committee to streamline mobility and traffic management in the city,”
Ranking among his priority items, Sakaja had promised to solve the transport crisis experienced on major highways, especially during peak hours.
"Held a successful engagement with all Nairobi Matatu SACCOS earlier today where we have agreed on a raft of measures to restore order and sanity in the city. Grateful for the cooperation from the sector," Sakaja stated.
