NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 18 – The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) on Friday conducted the third and final test run at the new Green Park terminal, amid confusion from passengers in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
Passengers plying the Langata Road and Ngong Road routes and whose pick up points are normally at Kencom, Moi Avenue Service Lane, Outside Development, AGRO and Gill house, Hataki Stage, Ambassador, Mfangano Street and Nairobi Railways Station Bus Terminus found the stages blocked by NMS trucks, and were forced to trek from CBD to the new Green Park terminus.
A spot check by Capital News on Friday morning established that most passengers were confused and had to seek assistance from the NMS officers so as to locate their stages, with some accusing NMS of poor communication.
“I have come from Buruburu am heading to Ngong, getting to the stage NMS trucks have blocked the place at least they could have informed us yesterday,” a frustrated commuter who identified himself only as Kevin said.
“Am from Umoja and I was to board Naboka at Railways but I was surprised not to find vehicles so I had to ask some officers who directed me here,” another by the name Allan said.
“I wish they had announced because I have made two trips from here and back trying to locate matatus plying the Rongai route. I was coming from Kileleshwa,” stated Charlotte a student at Multimedia University.
Public Service Vehicle Operators who spoke to us also expressed similar concerns, but were optimistic that the situation would get better after passengers get used to the new terminus.
“The main challenge is because our customers are yet to master their stages but I think after sometime all will be well,” stated Eric Oduor a PSV operator on the Langata road route.
“I think everything is going on well and our customers will get used,” a Kibera operator said.
NMS Director in charge of roads and transport Engineer Michael Ochieng however said the exercise was largely successful despite a few challenges which he believes will be resolved before the official launch.
He said the test run was to ensure that all issues from both passengers and the Public Service Vehicles operators are addressed before the official launch.
Ochieng noted that the first test run focused on dropping, the second on picking but this particular one was ‘full blast’ involving all the stakeholders in the exercise to assess preparedness.
The first test run was conducted on April 27, 2021 and took three hours from 6 am, while the second one took place on May 28, 2021, in the evening from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm.
“This is the third test and we have been informing the public through the dailies. Most of the time people think a change means the worst but they will get used,” Eng Ochieng said.
NMS is implementing the decongesting of the city strategies contained in the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan.
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