Get it right on BRT rollout

What you need to know:

Nairobi and other major towns are served daily by thousands of matatus and buses that spew tonnes of diesel fumes, not to mention the pollution from an even larger number of private cars running on petrol.
For the plan to work, however, the government must get it right on the establishment of support infrastructure.

Keeping diesel and petrol vehicles off the bus rapid transport (BRT) that is set to be launched on Thika and Mombasa roads later this year shows the country is serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions on its roads.

If properly rolled out and enforced, this will set an example to the rest of public transport operators, and hopefully, be a catalyst for wider adoption.

Nairobi and other major towns are served daily by thousands of matatus and buses that spew tonnes of diesel fumes, not to mention the pollution from an even larger number of private cars running on petrol.

For the plan to work, however, the government must get it right on the establishment of support infrastructure. The authorities should borrow a leaf from other countries that have electrified their transport systems successfully.

This includes the provision of sufficient charging points and power supply, as well as favourable taxation policies on electric and hybrid vehicles to encourage transporters to use them.

The charging points must be accessible to other motorists as well, to encourage the public to embrace the environment-friendly transport option.