NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 2 – The government has gone back to the drawing board to find a way of decongesting the Capital City after Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) operators defied a directive to terminate their trips outside the Central Business District (CBD).
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Government Musalia Mudavadi said on Wednesday that there was need for further consultation on the matter.
“There are those who feel that consultation levels were not sufficient so we have called for more consultation to reach an amicable solution so that we can move forward,” the DPM said.
There is no time frame set for the exercise.
The Nairobi City Council through Mayor Geoffrey Majiwa had two weeks ago announced that PSVs would be relocated to Westlands, Kariokor, Central Park and Railway bus termini in a bid to decongest the CBD.
He had then said the only vehicles that would operate in the City Centre would include City Hoppas, the Kenya Bus Service (KBS) and the Double M services. However, they would terminate their journeys at the Central Bus Station.
Other vehicles were to have designated bus-stops outside the City Centre.
Parking Fees
Speaking at a ceremony to sign performance contracts for local authorities, Mr Mudavadi also said that the parking fees would not be reviewed any time soon as had been earlier indicated by the Nairobi Metropolitan Ministry.
“If it was to be reviewed it would come to my desk for gazettement and that has not happened and you remember its only a few months ago that we reviewed the parking fees so as it stands now it remains as it is,” he said.
Nairobi Metropolitan Minister Njeru Githae had suggested another increment of the parking fees to ease congestion in the city, reducing the private vehicles that come into the CBD.
The Local Government Minister also defended the street lighting programme and said the Nairobi City Council was doing its best to keep the city well lit.
“If you drive around you will find that there are so many places where street lighting is taking place. Part of the reason why the lights may not be on is sometimes because of black outs in certain areas,” Mr Mudavadi said.
“But it is true there could be a shortage in other areas but these are technical issues which can be handled but in terms of improvement many other streets are being lit,” he added.
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