National Treasury in Kenya has approved plans for a road and railway master project aimed at decongesting Nairobi.
Dabbed Mass Rapid Transit, the Sh400 million project will involve the construction of 167 kilometres of new roads and railway lines linking the city to several satellite towns.
The project is being funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency. The project will see a commuter railway line built along outer Ring Jogoo, Mombasa, Limuru, Lang’ata Ngong Roads and Waiyaki Way.
The plan will also see the construction of a rapid bus transit system to be used by special buses and will charge lower rates than other buses.
The project will be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 will involve the construction of the bus transit system.
The government through the National Treasury has already invited consultants to develop designs and financing models for two of the seven main corridors that form the Mass Rapid Transit System.
Traffic congestion has continued to be a thorn in the flesh to the transport sector but to the entire country and the situation only gets worse every other time.
It is estimated that traffic gridlock costs the country millions of shillings annually through lost working hours and wasted fuel.
In the past the government and the county of Nairobi have hatched novel ways of dealing with the menace without much progress.
