BRT to be launched in February, metro transit wants 60 electric buses

The much-anticipated Bus Rapid Transport system is finally set to be launched in February. 

The Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority said the delay in the launch had been caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The BRT pilot was to start around June, but Namata director Francis Gitau said it has been pushed to February next year.

“Due to Covid-19, operations along this Thika Road corridor slowed down but we are moving forward," he said on Tuesday. The buses will run on inside lanes.

The government says the BRT buses will arrive in December; Namata is aiming for 60 electric buses.

Each bus can carry about 160 passengers and will use electronic cards for payment.

Gitau said the electric passenger buses procured through a public-private partnership will have doors on both sides, so passengers can also use taxi services and the median.

“The buses will have doors on both sides as they may be forced to drive in mixed traffic," Gitau said.

They should also be designed to accommodate people with disabilities, children and expectant mothers,” he added.

The Thika BRT will share the road with other vehicles, but will have a designated inner lane and will not be separated physically from the general traffic lanes.

Last week, Housing and Urban Development PS Charles Hinga said only electric passenger buses will be allowed in the lane to decongest the busy highway.

The high-capacity electric buses are expected to reduce the cost of transport as they will be cheaper to operate, attract cheaper financing and reduce the country's carbon footprint.

To ensure the BRT buses are not hindered by traffic, the inside lanes of Thika Super Highway will be demarcated and stations provided along the corridor.

“At 50 metres intervals there will be entries and exists for emergencies," Gitau said.

Once passengers access the platform, they buy tickets at machines and swipe them in a cashless system.

Retrofitting of the corridor and construction of the Kasarani Depot will allow motorists heading to the city centre to leave their vehicles and take BRT transport downtown.

The main depot for Line Three is at Kasarani, while other minor depots will be at Kenyatta National Hospital and Ruiru.

In November 2019, the government floated the BRT tender, saying it intends to improve the infrastructure of Thika Superhighway to accommodate the project.

A Chinese firm, Stecol Corporation, secured the Sh5.6 billion contract to construct special lanes for high-capacity buses in July 2020.

The project is being carried out in two phases.

Phase I is from Clayworks to the Nairobi CBD, Phase II will run from Clayworks to Ruiru.

A bus terminal will be built at Kenyatta National Hospital and depots in Kasarani and Ruiru as well as a transfer station at the Nairobi Railway Station.

Along the corridor, all traffic will be non-motorised.

It will start from KNH Terminal to Ruiru Station Depot, about 27km. The dedicated BRT is about 20km.

Along the line, there will be 13 intermediate stations with 24 platforms (two line transfer stations reserved for a future line not counted in this project) and KNH Terminal, Ruiru Depot, Kasarani Depot. 

“Ten existing footbridges are being modified by adding staircases in the middle to allow for passengers entering and exiting the stations,” Gitau added. 

Traffic snarl-ups in the Nairobi metropolis are estimated to cost the country Sh2 billion annually.

The city has a population of 4,397,037, most of whom rely on public transport.

The state has identified five corridors to decongest Nairobi roads.

Line 1 will run from James Gichuru road-Waiyaki Way to JKIA, a distance of 20km.

The 31km Line 2 will run from Lang’ata Road through Ngong, Juja, Komarock roads to Ruiru with major stops at Dandora, Kariobangi, and Gikomba Market.

Line 3 will run from Githurai through Thika Road to Moi Avenue in the CBD, ending at Kenyatta National Hospital.

(Edited by V. Graham)