Counties

Surveillance centre at Likoni Ferry to be ready by December

MV

Motorists enter Mv Likoni Ferry at the Mombasa Island side of the channel. PHOTO | FILE | NMG

Construction of a control centre for surveillance cameras at the Likoni Channel in the Sh95 million project will take four months to complete.

Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) managing director Bakari Gowa says the installation of CCTV cameras will be done by mid next month.

The control centre is expected to be ready by December.

“The whole project will be done at a cost of Sh95 million and it will include the installation of the CCTV cameras in our ferries, offices and in the entire operation offices.

Whereas the installation will not take much time, the construction of the control and monitoring centre will take between three and four months from now,” Mr Gowa said.

Last month, a team from KFS went to China to inspect the cameras that will be installed on vessel operating at the Likoni and Mtongwe channels.

The MD said the video cameras will enhance surveillance on the vessels.

“It will enable security personnel monitor each and every move on the ferries,” the MD said.

Vehicle traffic

Mr Gowa said the vehicle traffic at the busy channel dropped from 5,800 to 5,400 daily in July but the number has started increasing.

“In the beginning of July, the number of vehicles using the crossing dropped from 5,800 to 5,400 but by the end of the month and early August, the number has again risen to 5,800 and we expect it to continue to grow.

Some 340,000 people are still crossing the channel every day,” he added.

Cable cars

Mr Gowa said KFS had been awaiting Cabinet approval for the installation of cable cars. On Tuesday, the Cabinet approved the Sh4.1 billion project.

Trapos Limited, who are the sponsors of the project got into concession agreement of the multi-billion-shilling project with KFS last December.

The construction was to take two years with commuters using the busy Likoni channel in Mombasa expected to start enjoying the services from 2020.

The government has already settled on an Austrian based company, Doppelmayr Group to handle the installation of the technology project.

Commuters will cross the 500m channel in about three minutes as they enjoy a panoramic view of the channel at about 100 metres above the ocean.

They will pay between Sh20 and Sh100 depending on the mode and type of operation.

Decongest channel

Once installed, the project, which is expected to decongest the busy Likoni channel will be handled by Likoni Cable Cars Express Ltd for 25 years.

After the 25 years concession, KFS or any eligible company will upgrade, maintain and ensure delivery to the users.

The express link will have 22 cable cars that will carry 38 passengers per cabin.

It will carry 11,000 commuters per hour in both directions which will be a total of 180,000 people a day.