You have two weeks to get your matatu out of CBD – NMS boss Badi warned

The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has issued a two-week deadline within which matatus operating in the Central Business District (CBD) are expected to vacate.

NMS stated that the ban on the vehicles would take effect on December 1, 2020, as reported by Citizen Digital.

Already, the construction of several bus terminus is nearing completion.

PSVs plying Ngong Road and Lang’ata Road (Kawangware, Kikuyu, Kibera, Lang’ata, Rongai, Kiserian) will terminate at Green Park, known to many as Railways Club.

Vehicles plying along Waiyaki Way, Uhuru Highway, Kipande and Limuru roads, will have their bus terminus at Fig Tree in Ngara.

On the other hand, a terminus at the junction of Bunyala and Workshop Road is under construction and will serve PSVs from Mombasa Road (South B, South C, Industrial Area, Imara Daima, Athi River, Kitengela, Machakos).

The Muthurwa Terminus is expected to remain as is to serve PSVs from Jogoo and Lusaka roads.

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is also expected to be operational soon.

Badi is not the first leader in the city who has tried to decongest it. Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko and former county boss Evans Kidero, also tried and failed.

Matatu Owners Association (MOA) has since indicated that the reason previous attempts failed is that the leaders did not involve the association in their decongestion plan.

“It hurts so many people when decisions are made without the parties involved being consulted. We are ready to cooperate in decongesting the city in a manner that is acceptable by us but not when we are forced to do so,” MOA chairperson Simon Kimutai stated.