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Chinese Company Wins Sh5.6 BillionContract to Install BRT System on Thika Superhighway
A Chinese company has won a Sh5.6 billion government contract to set up a bus rapid transit (BRT) system along Thika Superhighway.
The Ministry of Transport and Public Works settled on Stecol Corporation to undertake the project that is expected to be completed in eight months.
Stecol will from next month start modifying the two innermost lanes of the highway to exclusively accommodate BRT buses.
“We signed the contract last week and the contractor is mobilizing to commence next month for the first phase covering the corridor from Clayworks to Haile Selassie and then to Kenyatta National Hospital. That should be done after eight months,” said Housing and Urban Development PS Charles Hinga.
A parking lot will be constructed at Kasarani for private car owners to leave their vehicles there and use the high-capacity buses for the remainder of the journey.
The buses will be run by private operators but regulated by the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (Namata).
The government intends to put up at least six BRT corridors in Nairobi as part of its plan to decongest and improve the public transport system in the city.
The six BRT corridors include Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Likoni Road, James Gichuru-Rironi, Bomas to Ruiru roads, Ngong Road to Juja, Mama Lucy to T-Mall and Balozi to Imara roads.
When complete, the Transport Ministry said the corridors will accommodate up to 950 high-capacity buses, thus reducing travel time and cost by up to 70 percent.