Matatus to be Banned from Nairobi CBD Starting Next Month

The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) says public service vehicles (PSVs) will be banned from operating in the city center by the end of April.

NMS Transport and Public Works Director Michael Ochieng said matatus will be relocated to terminals outside Nairobi CBD in a move aimed at decongesting the city.

The relocation process will start with the opening of three termini namely Green Park, Desai, and Park Road before the end of next month.

The Green Park terminus is 98 percent complete while the other two, which are meant for long-distance PSVs from the Mt Kenya region, were completed a year ago.

The Green Park station will serve matatus from Ngong, Karen, Rongai, Kikuyu, Dagoretti, Kawangware, Kibra, Highrise, Ngumo, Langata, Nairobi West, Makadara, Kaberia, Satellite and Kiserian.

Plans are also underway to set up more terminals at Fig Tree, Muthurwa, and Globe Roundabout.

“The change we are making in this city in terms of traffic to decongest it has been done in other parts of the world and it must be done in Kenya too. We must take the lead in East Africa to show that we are able to manage our public transport,” Ochieng said.

NMS says the Green Park terminal will be controlled digitally with vehicles electronically captured on a billboard showing their number plates and route.

Only three vehicles per Sacco will be allowed at the terminal and will be given a maximum of 20 minutes to drop off and pick up passengers. Touts will not be allowed at the terminus.

“The time a vehicle arrives at the park and when it exits will be captured electronically. Passengers will be guided by a public address system and huge information boards already mounted at the park,” added Ochieng.

There will be a 66-seater city link shuttle bus that will pick up commuters who do not wish to walk to the CBD, with priority given to special groups. Taxis and boda-bodas will be given a space adjacent to Chrisco Church.