Published on 20/08/2008
By Abiya Ochola

The days of the 14-seater Nissan matatu in Nairobi are numbered.

And parking bays in the city centre will be a thing of the past from December.

The matatus will be phased out and a new bus service (Smart Bus), that will use a swipe card similar to an ATM card, introduced.

Nairobi Metropolitan Development Minister Mutula Kilonzo said on Tuesday the bus service could be introduced late next month.

“We are not sending anybody out of business. We want to encourage matatu owners to form cooperatives and invest in cost-effective transport systems. We will do this in conjunction with stakeholders,” Mutula said.

And he added: “This mode of transport (matatu) is no longer efficient owing to high fuel costs and traffic jams. We will work together with affected associations to ensure a smooth transition.”

Mutula also disclosed that the more than 290 parking slots on major city streets would be phased out by December.

“We want to pedestrianise our streets so that people can walk freely. All the parking bays within the CBD will be removed,” said Mutula.

He said his ministry and the City Council were consulting with investors for alternative parking bays away from the city centre.

“For the time being, we have earmarked public land on Mombasa and Thika roads near Kasarani and Drive-In Cinema where people will park cars and use a commuter bus to be introduced by the end of September,” he said.

Taxi drivers, who monopolise most public parking slots, will be the most affected by the new move. Mutula also said the ministry was working on a policy in which a Nairobi Metropolitan Infrastructure Bond would be issued to mobilise funds.

The bonds will be listed and traded at the Nairobi Stock Exchange.

“I challenge the NSE and the Capital Markets Authority to start creating the necessary framework for the infrastructure bonds,” he said.

The minister made the remarks when he inaugurated the new NCBDA Board headed by Mr Timothy Muriuki. Mutula said driving schools would also be moved to the city suburbs.

He said all buildings in the city centre would be given numbers for better identification and easier service delivery.