The government has lifted the ban on the use of Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) on the Nairobi Expressway with immediate effect.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the move is aimed at boosting mobility across the city.
The ban was imposed in July 2022, after what the ministry termed as isolated safety incidents and road crashes were witnessed on the toll road.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Murkomen stated that since the ban was implemented, productive engagements on creating safe road usage awareness have taken place between Moja Expressway Company, the operator of the Nairobi Expressway, and stakeholders in the matatu industry.
“The exercise has proved successful with PSVs taking the necessary steps to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and adhere to set rules and regulations,” said Murkomen in part of the statement.
The lifting comes a day after chaos rocked Mombasa Road and the Expressway which was vandalised in Mlolongo during anti-government protests called by Opposition leader Raila Odinga against the high cost of living.
Violent protests were witnessed in the capital Nairobi and other parts of the country Wednesday, with police firing live bullets, teargas and deploying water canon.
On July 2022, the government banned all Public Service Vehicles (PSV) from using the Expressway with immediate effect with the then Transport CS James Macharia saying the ban was been necessitated by accidents and incidents involving commercial passenger vehicles.
He said that since the Nairobi Expressway was opened to the public, a number of traffic accidents and incidents involving commercial passenger vehicles had occurred on the expressway.
“These have necessitated an investigation into the cause of these accidents and incidents so that appropriate safety interventions can be developed to ensure that commercial passenger vehicles use the expressway safely,” said CS Macharia then.
“The Ministry of Transport has, therefore, taken the decision to temporarily restrict commercial passenger vehicles with a capacity of more than seven passengers from using the Nairobi Expressway, as we investigate the cause of these accidents and develop appropriate safety measures. Every life matters, and the Government is keen to avoid unnecessary injuries and loss of lives. This restriction takes effect immediately,” he said then.
The move comes after the expressway has witnessed three accidents in as many weeks with one being fatal. On Wednesday morning a matatu overturned at Nairobi’s Waiyaki Way at the entrance of the Nairobi Expressway in Westlands causing traffic snarl up that lasted for hours.
The Chinese-built Nairobi Expressway stretches from the western side of the city to the southeastern edge of the metropolis and reportedly records an average daily traffic volume of 50,000 vehicles.
The Sh87 billion, 27.1-kilometre road was financed and built by the China Road and Bridge Corporation under a public-private partnership model.
The Nairobi Expressway has 10 interchanges and includes the SGR terminus at JKIA, Eastern Bypass, Southern Bypass, and Enterprise Road.
It was launched by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022, to reduce traffic congestion on Mombasa Road and improve mobility in the city.
