Traffic jams are costly, Kenya loses US$1 bil a year because of them

Traffic jams are costly, Kenya loses US$1 bil a year because of them

Lack of scheduled public transport system one of the main reasons for Nairobi congestion.

Average travel time for Nairobi residents is 57 minutes. (Pixabay pic)
NAIROBI:
Cars and minibuses stuck in grinding traffic cause many a missed meeting in Kenya’s capital, potentially costing East Africa’s largest economy almost US$1 billion a year in lost productivity.

That’s according to the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, which ranked Nairobi as the world’s fourth most congested city.

In a new report, it put the average travel time in the city – home to 3.2 million people – at 57 minutes, and recommended a Bus Rapid Transit System for five key routes to stem the gridlock.

“Lack of a scheduled public transport system and an elaborate non-motorised transport network forces people to use personal vehicles over short distances, whereas they would have otherwise walked, cycled or used public transport,” according to the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority.

What is the way out of the gridlock?

The agency intends to create exclusive lanes for scheduled commuter transport to cut travel time to and from the central business district of Nairobi, once referred to as the city in the sun.

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