There are contemplations to remove the 14-seater matatus from Nairobi’s CBD in what is seen as a measure to reduce traffic.
This is according to the Matatu Owners Association (MOA) Chief Executive Officer Patricia Mutheu.
Mutheu spoke in an interview at a radio station in Nairobi, in response to the concern over matatu-crowded CBD.
“It is inevitable because of the growing population, especially in the Nairobi Metropolis. Instead of ten 14-seater matatus, there can be four 33-seater minibuses at a stage,” she explained.
Kenyan Economy Losing Big on Traffic
Traffic jams are estimated to cost the Kenyan economy Ksh.100 billion annually.
This accounts for Ksh.11 million per hour.
Nairobi alone is estimated to have 15,000 matatus on 50 routes, with 80% being the 14-seaters.
They have employed over one million Kenyans with the sector generating over Ksh.5 billion daily.
Nationwide, there are around 80,000 PSVs, whereby 60% operate in urban centres.
Also Read: How NMS plans to force matatus from Nairobi CBD
Mode of Transport in Nairobi
Public transport remains a major mode of movement in the city which had a population of 4.4 million people as of 2019, according to the national census.
The numbers are being pushed up by rural-urban migration as individuals seeking jobs continue to relocate to the city.
Of these, about 70% depend on public transport with more than 20,000 matatus entering the city centre each day, official data shows.
Traffic snarl-ups are common along Mombasa and Lang’ata roads where more than 8,000 matatus ply, Jogoo Road has about 5,000 PSVs every day.
Growing Concern Over Private Car
Thika Road and Waiyaki Way have more than 3,000 matatus and Ngong Road with more than 1,000 matatus every day.
Even though the MOA mulls doing away with 14-seater matatus from the CBD, official data shows private cars are the biggest contributors to the traffic in Nairobi.
This is according to a research by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) titled ‘Nairobi Metropolitan Region Transportation Challenges’
Private vehicles account for 64% of the traffic volume in Nairobi, but ferry just 22% of the people who use Nairobi roads.
The number of vehicles in Nairobi alone is likely to be more than 1.35 million in 2030, going by the current rate of registration.
The National Transport and Service Authority (NTSA) registers 7,000 vehicles monthly and 90,000 every year in Nairobi.
