The government on Wednesday, November 27, announced plans to construct a modern traffic management system in Nairobi that will seek to end traffic congestion that has been a menace in the city.
The development came after Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir signed a deal with a South Korean company, Samsung C&T, that will see it construct a modern traffic management centre.
”This afternoon, I witnessed the signing of a contract between Kenya Urban Roads Authority(KURA) and Samsung C&T for Phase 1 of Nairobi’s Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and the Traffic Management Centre (TMC). This phase includes the geometric improvement of 25 junctions,” Chirchir announced.
The deal is set to be worth Ksh8.4 billion and will see the Korean company construct the centre at Nairobi’s Cabanas area on Mombasa Road.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir during the signing of the first phase of the Nairobi Transport Intelligence System on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, in Nairobi.
Ministry of Transport
According to the CS, the project will see an upgrade to Nairobi’s junction designs with heavy reliance on the use of technology to improve traffic flow.
”The project involves detailed design and upgrades to the junction configurations to ensure they can adequately handle traffic demand. This comprehensive upgrade will greatly improve traffic flow and safety in our city,” Chirchir added.
The design will also see a Digital Traffic Intelligence system installed, a move that is likely to gradually face out the presence of many traffic police officers on the city’s major roads and highways.
Additionally, the project will include closed-circuit cameras(CCTV) and digital Vehicle Enforcement Systems(VES).
Other key features to be included at the centre will include digital traffic signal controllers and above-ground detectors.
The deal follows a Cabinet resolution in February this year that gave KURA the go-ahead to announce a bidding process for developers.
”To address traffic congestion in Nairobi and align with international best practices in city management, Cabinet approved the implementation of the Nairobi Intelligent Transport System (ITS) Establishment and Junction Improvement Project,” read part of the Cabinet dispatch.
According to Chirchir, the first phase of the project is set to begin in March 2025 as the government continues to explore more ways of managing the traffic menace in the Nairobi metropolis.
Motorists stranded along Mombasa Road after an accident
Motorists Association of Kenya