NMS plans Sh250m automation of Nairobi Green Park terminal

Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) is set to begin automation of traffic management at the Sh250 million Green Park terminus in Nairobi.

This is after the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) deployed four of its engineers to NMS to help in the automation exercise.

According to a statement from the Mohamed Badi-led administration, the automation of the systems will ease access of details for both public service vehicle (PSV) operators and commuters online.

The terminus, located at the former Lunar Park, is a drop-off and pick-up point for matatus plying the Ngong Road, and Lang’ata routes, all currently operating from the Nairobi Railways Central station.

“The Directorate of Transport has received four engineers from Kenya Railways Corporation. The team trained in china on automated traffic management, will assist with the automation of Green Park Terminus,” announced NMS, in a statement.

Already three test runs to check the level of preparedness of the terminus have been carried out between April and June, 2021.

However, the launch of the terminus has been delayed by several cases before court to oppose its commissioning, delaying any planned unveiling.

According to NMS, large screens will be made available at the station to display route information, vehicles loading/ dropping as well as queue status, as part of the automation process.

“After alighting at the drop off bay, commuters can walk along Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) to town or if still on transit proceed to the pickup bay through a path complete with roofing to protect commuters from inclement weather,” added the statement.

NMS Director of Transport and Public Works Michael Ochieng' had in May announced that an electronic system would be integrated into the terminus as part of digitisation of its operations. The digital platform would also be used to keep matatu users appraised of the time the last-mile buses will be at the different pick-up stages.

The terminus has a capacity to accommodate between 300 and 350 matatus at any one time as well as process about 1,000 PSVs per hour and up to 20,000 PSVs per day.

The terminal, which is part of a wider city decongestion strategy in Nairobi being implemented by NMS, will also host other amenities including a dispensary, supermarket, restaurant and a sitting bay where commuters can wait for matatus.

Two ablution blocks have already have been set up, one at the drop-off point and another at the pick-up area.