Boda-boda riders reaping from Green Park test run

The riders spent much of their day ferrying passengers from the new terminus into the Central Business District (CBD).

The test run which began on June 22, and is expected to last five days until June 26, is for Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) plying the Rongai, Kiserian, Ngong, Karen, Langata, Nairobi West/Madaraka, Kibra, Kawangware, Dagoretti/Satellite, Kilimani, Highrise/Ngumo and Kikuyu.

Wananchi Reporting has learned that many passengers crossing to other parts of capital were caught unawares, and had to dig deeper into their pockets to find alternative means into the CBD.

Take the case of Monica Mungai who had to grab a boda boda from the new terminus to ferry her to the Mombasa bus terminus along River Road.

“I have to use a boda boda to get to River Road because it is very far from here, and I don’t want to waste time walking,” she told Wananchi Reporting.

Initially her matatu would have dropped her at the Railways terminus, from which it would have taken her 15 minutes to get to the Mombasa bound bus stop.

Notably, the number of boda-boda riders zooming around the city centre has increased compared to other days of the week.

The riders charge between Sh100 and Sh300 depending on the distance from the new terminus.

According to the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS), the terminus which can processing 1,000 PSVs per hour and up to 20,000 per day, will be used as a drop-off and pick-up point for the matatus.

 “All vehicles using the Railway bus terminus from Mombasa road will join Lusaka road at Nyayo roundabout to Jogoo road roundabout, Landhis road to Hakati terminus,” NMS stated in a public notice.

The Green Park was to be commissioned on May 24, but was postponed after some public service vehicles requested for an extension.