The Nairobi Metropolitan Service conducted a test run at the Green Park Terminus in preparation of its commissioning. NMS Director for Roads Engineer Michale Ochieng was on site to supervise the test run at the terminus.
Engineer Ochieng, said the test run was to assess the dropping off exercise only. The assessment preparedness includes Dropping off, Electronic app systems, picking up and enforcement.
โFor today we carried out an assessment on dropping off only. We were able to establish that the terminus can accommodate many matatus. NMS will look into the safety elements before the next test run,” he said.
Assessment preparedness
All PSV vehicles from Nairobi Railway Station Frontage were diverted into the terminus by police officers positioned along Bunyala road. Only private cars were permitted to use Uhuru Highway to join Haile Sellasie Avenue. Inside the terminus, matatus were only allowed to drop off commuters as they exited.
From there, the matatus are required to find their way into the CBD by crossing Uhuru Highway where the traffic police controlled the traffic. The Nairobi Commuter buses were available for the physically challenged, expectant mothers and those with small children free of charge.
The next test run will include the electronic app and how the matatu schedules will run on the dashboard in the terminus. Many of the commuters however appeared to be confused with many saying they were not aware of the test run. Matatu drivers also lamented that the traffic was unbearable as they entered the terminus.
De-congestion Strategies
NMS is in the process of implementing the various โDe-congestion Strategiesโ of the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan (NIUPLAN). The terminus will act as the drop-off and pick-up point for matatus plying Ngong and Lang’ata routes once the decongestion process begins. There will be no more menacing knife-wielding gangs posing as touts, harassing passengers from dawn to dusk, or pickpockets preying on unsuspecting commuters.
All incoming PSVs will be monitored by cameras. They will queue according to their saccos, and drivers will follow directions from the screens mounted at the terminus. Automation has also been enhanced and commuters will have alternative means to access travel information through a mobile app. A police station will be set up to ensure the safety of commuters and matatu crews.
The terminus also has a Level 2 hospital, a supermarket, eateries and free Wi-Fi. With about 3,000 people expected to use it daily, a dispensary that will offer medical assistance in emergency cases is ready. Two modern ablution blocks will be set up, one at the drop-off point and the other at the pick-up area, which will be hygienic and user-friendly to everyone, including the physically challenged and children.
