Nairobi may have separated bus lanes in a new effort aimed at easing traffic gridlocks in the city.
This is after the newly created Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (Namata) revived plans to ease the city’s infamous traffic jams through lanes reserved for public transport.
Ndovu, Simba, Chui, Kifaru and Nyati (Kiswahili for Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, and Buffalo) are the codes of the new lines that will form the bus rapid transit system.
World Bank has already committed to invest $300 million (Sh. 31 billion) in the project in 2012, in addition to $113 million (Sh. 11.6 billion) from the Kenyan government.
Construction of the bus rapid transit system was expected to start this year, being the initial phase of the World Bank-funded MRTS project.
The original design done by the Ministry of Transport would have seen Ndovu line run from Kangemi to Imara Daima.
This will extend to cover Limuru-Kangemi, Central Business District (CBD)-Imara Daima-JKIA-Athi River and Kitengela.
‘Simba’ will now cover Rongai-Bomas-CBD-Ruiru-Thika and Kenol while the ‘Chui’ line will run from Tala-Njiru-Dandora-CBD-Showground and Ngong.
A redesigned ‘Kifaru’ stretch will cover Kayole-Mama Lucy-Donholm-CBD-T/Mall-Bomas-Karen-Dagoreti and Kikuyu. Its initial design ran from T-Mall to Mama Lucy Hospital combining the Kenyatta Avenue and Jogoo Road corridors.
Apart from the Outer Ring road corridor plan from Imara to Balozi Estate, Nyati is being remodelled to cover Kiambu-Balozi and Imara Daima.
