Monopoly Bus Service to Rationalize Public Transport

Yesterday's strike by matatu operators is a reminder of the constant menace that is our public transport system, a headache that no one seems to find a remedy for over the last two decades.

Taxis blocking City Hall way during Wednesday's Strike

All town dwellers will agree with that its only a few days that they have reached home and never complained about the bad traffic, hiked fairsor unreturnd change to the smelly touts and the greasy sits that one is subjected to with no other option, or even the rude careless language the operators have perfected.

This got me thinking about the good old KBS service which had been commisioned to provide transport in the 90s by the government at an affordable price and offer reliability. Matatus were hardly allowed into townn and there was security of a stable fare system.

Campus students for instance would have cards which they could subscribe monthly and actually get to traverse the city without having to pay for different destinations! That sounds heavenly..right?

Nowadays you can hardly
budget for your monthly expenditure as you aint a weatherman to tell when it's going to rain or even get cloudy, since the slightest indication of rain willl send bus fair flying overboard even in mid-week. Thanks to M-pesa some of us would be battling with conductors save for that good friend who saves the day by topping up your account when you get caught up in these mad days.

A Kenya Bus Company Vehicle being directed by traffic officer to Mama Ngina street on Wednesday. In the 90s these buses were the official passenger transport vehicles in Nairobi city

The only bus company that is noble enough to assure its passangers of stable prices is Kenya Mpya which operates on the Nairobi-Thika route. Blaring music is unheard of and conductors here are quite civilized you could think they have certification for it.

Without hating on enterpreneurial minds who have invested in the industry I think the Nairobi City County ought to take us back to that age where transport wasn't such a hustle.

A monopoly on bus service should be introduced for all major routes where the companied is compelled to maintain fair prices at all times and weather and assure travellers of ready transport.

Taxis block a lane between Mama
 Ngina Strt and City Hall Way

About the taxis, I think they should be left as they are since its their informal agreements which bind them to their customers...Why were they on strike by the way!

If a monopoly Kenya Mpya Bus Company could be commissioned to handle public transport in the city then all this hullaballoo about parking fees, congestion and ridiculously changing fairs would be thing forgotten.

and Nairobians could worry about other important things.