Editor's Review

  • The ban was scheduled for December 1st. 
  • The government has been trying for years to ban public service vehicles from the CBD. 

The Nairobi Metropolitan Services has postponed the banning of public service vehicles from the CBD to December 14.

The ban was set to take effect from December 1, but NMS notes that the new bus terminus is yet to be completed. 

This comes even as some stakeholders claim that the new bus terminus cannot accommodate all matatu. 

For example, the green park terminus can contain 110 matatus with a specific lane dedicated to Public Service Vehicles (PSVs). The terminus is yet to be completed. 

Construction works are still ongoing at the junction of Bunyala and Workshop roads. The terminus will serve PSVs plying Mombasa Road.

PSVs from the Mt Kenya region that originally terminated at Tea Room, Accra Road in the CBD, will now move to the new Desai and Park Road termini.

The Muthurwa terminus is expected to remain as it serves PSV from Jogoo and Lusaka roads. However, concerns have been raised about the security and hygiene of the terminus. 

Notably, this is not the first time the government has tried to deal with the nasty traffic congestion by blocking the CBD's matatus. In 2018, governor Mike Sonko failed to implement the ban, with stakeholders citing poor planning.

Matatu operators have opposed the relocation stating that it is bad for business.