Mombasa bus firms switch to courier service
A loader arranges cargo set for Nairobi in one of the Dreamline Coaches that has been fabricated into a Cargo Courier Service bus at Mwembe Tayari on April 8, 2021. Many bus companies have grounded their fleets while others have opted to convert them to carry cargo to remain afloat since the 2nd lockdown in Nairobi.
Bus companies plying Mombasa-Nairobi have switched to courier services to remain afloat, as the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown bite.
Following the Presidential directive on cessation of movement of passengers in and out of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Nakuru and Kiambu counties, bus companies now say their business has been greatly affected.
With the lockdown in the four counties, passengers who are the main cash cow for the sector are grounded, making it hard for the bus companies to remain in business.
Now, some bus companies have opted to refabricate their buses to offer courier service. Others have modified their buses, by removing seats, to create more room for cargo and parcel service.
Mash East Africa General Manager Mr Lennox Shallo told nation.africa that they are doing fairly well with the parcel service despite the pandemic.
“Following the directive on cessation, we are lucky to be moving despite the curfew and the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the bus companies are barely surviving. We have some lorries, canters, vans, and motorbikes for door-to-door deliveries. Currently, the volumes of cargo have dropped,” Mr Shallo said.
He added that they have also converted one of their Uganda-bound buses to ferry cargo to the neighbouring Country.
Cargo fills the Dreamline Bus Booking office in Mombasa County at Mwembe Tayari on April 8, 2021.
“We have notified and sought authority from the Coast region traffic commander so that we are authorized to carry goods to Kampala,” he said.
The company says that they disinfect cargo before departure and the driver and loader also sanitize after delivering cargo to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Other bus companies like Dreamline, Simba Coach, Chania Genesis, and Chania Executive Bus Companies are also carrying cargo to remain in business.
Neno/Imani Coach Bus Services Supervisor Jacob Njeru said the company has converted two of their buses to offer courier service between Meru, Nairobi, and Mombasa.
“We had the courier service running alongside passenger buses. But since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, we opted to remove the passenger seats to increase our capacity to carry cargo and more parcels,” Mr Njeru said.
He said that they mainly carry foodstuff from Meru to Mombasa, but still must contend with delays occasioned by the numerous safety checks and police roadblocks in between counties.
Dreamline bus driver Alfan Njoroge Kimani said despite remaining on the road, they end up spending at least a week before making a return trip to Mombasa due to low cargo numbers.
“We take time to fill the bus with cargo. Sometimes I make three trips to Mtwapa as I wait for cargo. This happens even when we come from Nairobi and other destinations. We spend up to a week waiting. The struggle is real,” Mr Kimani said.
Buscar parcel clerk, Lawrence Ongusi said that the firm has converted two of their fleet of buses to courier service to get their daily bread.
Mr Ongusi noted that business is not doing good as most of what they carry is food items, which are perishable and with the delays on the road, some of the cargo, like fish from Malindi to Nairobi had to be disposed of.
