- Nairobi has a combined 7.5 million population depending on public transport day and night
- The logistics firm is expecting another 55 buses by the end of the year
Image: Simba Corp
A public transport firm, MetroTrans East Africa has invested Sh389 million in a fleet of new FUSO buses aimed at meeting the door-to-door transport demand in the country.
The investment is a lease partnership between the National Bank of Kenya (NBK) and Simba Corporation as they seek to meet the demand for public transport which has continued to rise over the years as the population increases.
In Nairobi, there are currently about three million residents and a daytime population of 4.5 million people who need to commute through the city.
Speaking during the official handover of the first batch of 25 FUSO Canter buses by Simba Corporation, MetroTrans CEO Oscar Rosanna said the move is a response to increased demand in their existing routes.
It also aims to serve customers better by offering cashless payments enabled by technology company SWVL that allows users to make and track bookings through the SWVL app.
He said the logistics firm is expecting another 55 buses by the end of the year that will be used to gain footing in older routes and they seek to join new routes.
“This is an opportunity to widen our reach and offer better transportation solutions to our clients. These buses will help us add value to our clients,” Rosanna said.
Simba Corp Motors managing director Naresh Leekh said Fuso is geared toward providing comfort.
"When it comes to buses, comfort is key when moving from point A to B. With this partnership we offer all passengers comfort in traveling, with enough legroom, aeration, seatbelts, and better driving comfort for the driver," he said.
Speaking during the event, NBK Retail Banking Director Carol Rutto said that availing of the buses to MetroTrans Limited lends credence to the desire by the bank to support key economic enablers, especially in the transport industry.
“We are delighted to finally hand over the buses that will ultimately transform the travel experience of commuters along the routes that Metro Trans operates,” Rutto said.