Decongesting the central business district is top on the agenda as Nakuru County gears towards achieving the envisaged city status.Land use, transport and infrastructure across the sub-counties are some of the key areas the County Government of Nakuru is putting into much consideration.
Deputy Governor Dr Erick Korir has pointed out matatu termini in every street and turn within the Central Business District as one of the things clogging the county headquarters.
“The county is looking for suitable land to build termini to ease the matatu pressure from the CBD,” said Dr Korir.
The Deputy Governor said the proposed location would not be far from the CBD with much consideration on security and ease of movement of the passengers.
Dr Korir was speaking when he officiated the launch of cashless fare payment system by Mololine Services one of the leading matatu companies in the country.
The switch to cashless payment is in compliance with a 2015 directive by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on cashless payment, that players in the transport industry say has helped weed off corruption.
Through the newly launched Safari Card, passengers will earn points whenever they make payments that would eventually warrant the holder a free travel.
Lands, Housing and Physical Planning CEC Eng Lucy Kariuki, who is also the acting Infrastructure County Executive Committee member (CEC), lauded the transport company for the initiative.
“The county will hold consultative forums with all players in the sector on the move to get rid of matatus in the CBD,” Eng Kariuki said.
Mololine Chairman, Mr Njoroge Kariuki alias Bumasu said M-Pesa and cash payments methods were still in place.
“We will see if we can lower the fare for card users to encourage our customers to switch,” he said as he advised matatu owners to comply when time to decongest the town comes.