Economy

More CBD parking slots to give way to pedestrian lanes

nairobi

Non-motorised section of Kenyatta Avenue. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Motorists will soon have limited access to on-street parking in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) as focus shifts to provision of pedestrian and cycling lanes.

This will see most on-street parking spaces in the city centre reduced in favour of multi-storey (silo) and sunken car parks.

The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has already embarked on a strategy to slowly phase out on-street parking in favour of non-motorised transport (NMT) system as part of wider plans to decongest the capital.

The plan has seen the development of non-motorised transport along Kenyatta Avenue, Wabera and Muindi Mbingu Streets incorporating construction of pedestrian walkways and cycling lanes.

The project has massively reduced parking slots along the three streets as well as Kimathi, Koinange and Banda Streets.

NMS Director of Transport, Roads and Public Works Engineer Michael Ochieng said in June that the Major General Mohammed Badi-led office intends to do more than 100 kilometres of NMT in Nairobi within a year.

This will see overreliance on motorised transport reduced with residents encouraged to either walk or cycle to the city centre.

“The project will see the development of efficient non-motorised transport facility, construction of kerbs and channels and laying of paving blocks,” said Eng Ochieng.

The capital city has been synonymous with congestions brought about by motor vehicles.

Attempts by the county government to discourage on-street parking by increasing daily parking fees for private motorists have failed severally.

A 2017 report by Nairobi County’s Transport and Urban Decongestion committee showed that traffic congestion in Nairobi costs the economy upward of Sh37 billion annually while revenue from parking services brings less than Sh2 billion to the county government every year.

Moreover, NMS has also announced that matatus will be kicked out of the city centre by the end of November in a bid to decongest the capital.

This will see all public service vehicles terminate their journey outside the CBD at respective bus parks which including Muthurwa, Ngara and Pangani, among other identified holding areas.