Commuters get migraines in CBD curfew rat race

It's barely 5pm and you might think there’s an election in the Central Business District, or a bomb or some kind of disturbance as commuters rush about and queue desperately to leave town.

You'd think they were fleeing for their lives. 

The 8pm to 5am curfew has made commuting even more chaotic than usual, despite measures by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services to improve it.

Along Tom Mboya Street, the lower part of Moi Avenue and City Hall Way at Kencom, commuters lined up in ragged queues at designated and non-designated PSV stages. There’s a lot of pushing and shoving, jostling and elbowing.

Tempers flare.

Hawkers crowd around, crowding the PSV stages, trying to make last minute deals and interrupting queues. 

Construction of the Nairobi Expressway and the curfew mean if a commuter hasn’t left the CBD before 5pm, there’s a lot of aggravation ahead.

All this crowding takes place despite the requirement of social distancing, which is ignored, and the requirement that everyone wears masks properly to limit the spread of Covid-19. People tend to wear masks for fear of a police crackdown.

PSVs are supposed to space their passengers, often carrying half the load, so fares go up; higher fuel prices also mean higher fares.

Commuters pull long faces or grit their teeth as they carry shopping bags and try to manage handbags, shoulder bags or backpacks.

“This has become the new normal after the 8pm curfew was introduced. The longest I have waited for a matatu home was one hour and 30 minutes,” Utawala resident Thomas Makau said.

Most commuters who spoke to the Star said they had no option but to line up since all the restaurants only offer takeaway service.

“Before curfew, I could wait in a restaurant for the line to shorten, now you have to queue,” Syokimau resident Vivian Mandera said.

TRAFFIC JAMS

As the construction of the Nairobi Expressway continues, PSV riders and motorists spend more time in traffic. Commuter rail buses don't pass through the CBD.

Last week, a section of road along busy Uhuru Highway was closed for 20 days, forcing motorists and PSVS to manoeuvre along Bunyala Road or use Landhies Road to enter the CBD.

From Waiyaki Way, Uhuru Highway, Mombasa Road to Jogoo Road, rush hour or normal hours, traffic has been the worst ever.

“I live in South B and one trip from CBD to the estate normally would last 30 minutes but with the chaotic traffic in the past month, a trip takes an hour,” Winnie Njeri said.

With matatus spending more hours in traffic, they consume a lot of costly fuel, passing the hikes onto passengers.

As a result, bus fares have increased by Sh20 to Sh30, depending on the distance from the CBD.

During normal hours, a commuter heading to or from Buruburu estate pays Sh50 but with the hours spent on the road, the fare is now Sh70.

“Matatus usually charge Sh80 to Sh100 to Ngong in normal hours but after 4pm we pay Sh150 to Sh200,” Ken Theuri said.

“From the CBD to Saika Estate and vice versa in the morning and during the day it costs Sh50 to Sh60 but during rush hour with traffic, it goes up to Sh100,” Martha Muthio said.

Some commuters would rather pay more for  boda bodas, which are faster.

From the CBD to Nairobi West, Agnes Mueni pays Sh50 by matatu but she would rather pay Sh350 than queue for hours in the evening.

(Edited by V. Graham)