Why car-free days plan is noble

After a week of promises and several months of discussions, the Nairobi Bus Rapid Transport System has been put on hold for a few weeks, at least components in it. As variously described in the press, the plan was to help ease traffic congestion in Nairobi by introducing high capacity buses on the roads. In addition to capacity, some lanes would be marked for these buses.

The intention was to gradually replace both the small-capacity buses and matatus on our roads, but also make it unnecessary for private vehicles that individuals use to and from work.

In addition, early in the week, an announcement was made that the county would designate certain roads in the city to be out of bounds for cars on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The plan would be rolled out after a pilot scheduled for the first of February, which was last Friday. Expectedly many stakeholders were up in arms, forcing the government to postpone the idea by two weeks.

The levels of public participation and subsequent buy-in was low. You cannot implement a new idea without spending sufficient time to consult critical stakeholders and educating the public on its workings. It surprises that despite the clear provisions of the Constitution requiring public participation for any public policy process, Government at both the national and county level, could skip this fundamental stage in its quest to ease the traffic burden. As a result, what should have received wide public support ended up being criticized and opposed.

It should have received public support because both easing traffic congestion and car-free days are noble initiatives. Sometime in June, 2014, a famous environmental activist from the Philippines, Antonio Oposa, visited the University of Nairobi and gave a lecture to students interested in environmental law. The lecture, based on his decade old experience focused, on amongst other things traffic congestion in Philippines and gave what sounded then like unrealistic proposals on how to deal with the problem.

Oposa’s central argument was the inequity of having roads occupied by two percent of their country’s population, which is the number he estimated as owning cars, while 98 percent who did not own cars had access to only two percent of the roads.

His argument was to have more space for big buses that carry more people. This was a reasonable suggestion. He then went further to argue for the need of designating lanes on the roads for bicycles so as to promote it as a means of transport due to its health effects.

He pointedly stated that vehicles run on money and makes one fat when you use it, while bicycles run on fact and saves money. His more controversial suggestion then was the idea of designating car-free days on the roads. These would be days that vehicles would not be allowed on the roads. Instead people would have access to the entire road to walk. Oposa not only made this suggestion but went to court in Philippines to make a case for his proposal on road sharing. This proposal would involve creation of a diversion road 10 kilometres bike lane, creation of walkways, promotion of urban edible gardens and also mass transport system. In addition, there would also be days set aside for citizens to walk on the entire road with no vehicles allowed access.

Initially many found his ideas strange. However, as he went on with his lecture, they sounded extremely realistic. Reflecting on the suggestions by the Government of Kenya I was reminded of Oposa’s lectures. We have become a very sedentary society, for those who live in urban areas. We spend too much time in vehicles and stuck on traffic.

The government should not relent in its quest to introduce Rapid Bus Transport system and to have vehicle free days. However, they must ensure that they deal with designs so as to have spaces on our roads for bicycles, for those walking and for the big buses. In addition, they need to expedite the ongoing process of introducing the buses. In addition, involve relevant stakeholders to socialize them on the working of the proposed system. But do not go back on the idea.