To ease traffic in city, change business model

On July 16, the High Court overturned a decision by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to phase out 14-seater matatus for lack of public participation as argued by the Matatu Owners Association (MOA).

Commuters support the plan as it will ease traffic; the snarl-ups are a nightmare.  But MOA argues that matatu owners will run out of business. How, when the type and capacity of vehicles will change but the number of commuters will increase as population trends show? MOA chairman Simon Kimutai should advise matatu saccos to review their investment model.

Most matatus are owned by individuals and registered under an umbrella group (sacco) for ease of coordination. The saccos should operate like transport companies, whereby investors are paid dividends every financial cycle.

Instead of replacing their old vehicles with new ones of the same capacity, let them invest in bigger ones that carry more passengers and take less space on the roads, such as double-decker buses. The best public transport systems, like in cities such as London and Singapore, comprise buses, trams and trains. Public transport players should take the initiative and invest in them.

Urban planners advise developers to adopt the “vertical expansion” concept. This makes more use of the space skywards by constructing highrise buildings so that more activity can be accommodated in the limited “contested space”.

Reduced number of motor vehicles on the roads will also reduce energy consumption, hence less carbon footprint and pollution.

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Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director-General Mohamed Badi’s plan to ban PSVs from the city centre will decongest the CBD. But let him know that Governor Mike Sonko and his predecessor, Dr Evans Kidero, failed to do it.

Mr Mutiga is an urban and regional planner.  mailto:[email protected].