KURA announced the system will help enhance traffic efficiency and flow in the capital which mainly relies on traffic marshals to manage congestion © CFM/ FILE – MOSES MUOKI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 21 – The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) has announced plans to implement an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) that will help commuters, motorists and pedestrians save time by planning their movements around Nairobi based on real-time traffic data.
ITS allows users to access prior information about traffic, local convenience real-time running information and seat availability on rapid bus transport system which reduces the travel time for commuters as well as enhances their safety and comfort.
KURA on Friday announced the system will help enhance traffic efficiency and flow in the capital which mainly relies on traffic marshals to manage congestion.
“The implementation of ITS will help control traffic in Kenya and greatly improve traffic efficiency,” KURA said in their official twitter handle account.
KURA further said a pilot project has been launched in seven junctions within the city for learning purposes before ITS in implemented in full across the city.
Some of the countries that are already using the ITS include Greece and the United Kingdom.
“Greece is facing transportation challenges related to high road congestion, especially during peak hours, causing a significant increase in travel time and a low level of road safety which often leads to accidents and high environmental pollution,” said Evangelos Mitsakis, Senior Transport Researcher at the Centre for Research and Technology –Hellas, in a recent interview with international publication, asmag.com.
The United Kingdom implemented ITS with the aim of making roads better, safer and user-friendly.
“We have significant issues with congestion and air quality, and sophisticated traffic management solutions are in use to meet both these challenges,” Jennie Martin, Secretary-General of ITS United Kingdom is quoted by asmag.com.
A 2017 report by Numbeo – a crowd-sourced global database of reported consumer prices – ranked Nairobi the city with the second-worst traffic gridlocks in the world.
“We estimate that in this city, due to traveling to work/school, 1,406.55kg of CO2 is produced per passenger yearly. You need 16.4 trees for each passenger to produce enough oxygen to cover that,” noted Numbeo.
The report also revealed Nairobi residents spend 55.8 minutes in traffic.
The congestion experienced along these roads is often said to lead to an estimated loss of Sh58 million a day.
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