•The BRT is part of the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan which is being implemented to end vehicles congestion in the CBD.
•To decongest the city, Namata gazetted five BRT lines which are in different development phases.
Image: FRED OMONDI
The Nairobi Bus Rapid Transport project has been allocated Sh1.2 billion in the 2022-23 budget.
BRT is expected to decongest the CBD, reduce travel time and air pollution.
National Treasury CS Ukur Yatani said the allocation will help in implementing the project.
He said it will also be efficient and time-saving.
The BRT is part of the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan which is being implemented to end vehicles congestion in the CBD.
To decongest the city, Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority gazetted five BRT lines which are in different development phases.
They are Line 1, which is Ndovu. It runs from Limuru-Kangemi-CBD-Imara Daima-Athi River and Kitengela.
Line 2 called Simba runs from Rongai-Bomas-Langata Road-CBD-Ruiru-Thika and Kenol.
It will cost you a minimum fee of Sh150 to use the BRT as the pilot phase test run of the BRT line 2 is set to start in July.
Line 4, called Kifaru, is comprised of East and West.
East one runs from Mama Lucy Hospital-Donholm (Jogoo Road) to CBD.
The West one runs from CBD- T Mall-Bomas-Karen and Kikuyu.
BRT Line 5, also called Nyati, traverses Ridgeways (Kiambu Road)-Balozi (Allsops) and Imara Daima.
After launching the Nairobi Commuter Rail System in November 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta said the next focus was the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transport.
The two systems will complement each other when fully operational.
Uhuru said he had gazetted 12 mobility corridors, seven of them for core mass rapid transportation linking Limuru, Ngong town, Kenol, Murang’a, Kiambu, Ruai, JKIA and Konza technology city.
In August 2020, Kenya signed an agreement with South Korea to finance development projects among them BRT Line 5 (Outer Ring Road) at Sh6.4 billion.
Once complete, all the corridors are expected to hold up to 950 high capacity buses.
The same year in October, Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority director general Francis Gitau said detailed designs for Line 3 (Chui) were ready.
“We have a company that has already reviewed the designs which were done in 2015,” he said then.
The 12.4km line passes through Haile Selassie Avenue, the CBD along Racecourse Road to Ring Road Ngara and Juja Road.
The line will be funded by the European Union at Sh40 billion.
BRT Line 3 project comprises 10 main components.
They are bus running ways, bus stations, bus depots, station access supporting infrastructure including pedestrian bridges, fare collection and validation systems.
It also includes a bus fleet ( 110-articulated buses), interchange stations for feeder bus services, park and rides facilities, a BRT control room and a real-time passenger information system.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris