Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has clarified on the progress of the much-awaited Bus Rapid Transport project.
Speaking during a senate committee on transport, the Cabinet Secretary said the project was hit by a funding hitch that led to incompletion of the pilot phase.
Murkomen said the project would also need further consultations on the implication of traffic on the pilot route, which utilizes the Thika Road.
The project’s completion would have saved Nairobians the agony of traffic jams in the city.
Kenya was anticipated to contribute Sh11.6 billion to the project’s implementation.
About Sh6 billion was set enough to fund the development of specific mass transport corridors along major highways such as Mombasa Road, Thika Highway, and the Outer Ring Road.
Politics also reported to have hampered the formation of the implementing body, the Nairobi Metropolitan Transport Authority (Namata), which explains some of the delays in putting the plan into reality.
Currently, huge metal shades that were to be the BRT bus stops dot the Thika Superhighway, with many questioning the delays.
Going Electric
Murkomen said the issues, once sorted will see Kenya importing electric buses to fully realise its green transport plan.
Already, private companies have started sourcing for electric buses launched by BasiGo and Roam.
BasiGo is supplying buses directly to Nairobi’s private operators through a “pay-as-you-drive” arrangement. These vehicles were imported as kits and are being built in the coastal city of Mombasa, creating jobs and lowering taxes.
As part of the agreement, drivers will receive free bus service and maintenance, as well as free charging. The charging infrastructure, which connects to the national grid, is being installed along key routes at stations where buses usually stop overnight.
