Nairobi City County Government has designated special parking bays to be used as pick-up and drop-off points for digital taxis within Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
Digital taxi operators will now have an easy time in the CBD without the run-ins they have been facing with county enforcement officers when picking up and dropping off clients.
In the past, the operators in the CBD faced arrest and were charged with obstruction offenses and this move by the County Government led by Governor Johnson Sakaja will now see the digital taxi operators enjoy using the parking bays for drop off and picking up clients.
The marking of the areas was led by the Nairobi City County Chief Officer for Mobility Bonface Karimi Nyamu who noted that the county government had identified the problem digital taxi operators had been experiencing in the CBD and sort to offer them a solution along the county leadership’s mantra of making Nairobi work.
“Today, our team from City Hall has been doing the exercise of marking designated areas for digital taxis, as a county, we have identified the difficulties they face when picking up or dropping off their customers in the CBD and we want to ensure that they have a conducive working environment. This city must work as our Governor Johnson Sakaja has pledged,” Nyamu said.
“We came up with this decision after wide consultations and we are positive this will be helpful to them, and their clients who at times have to hop to a near-moving vehicle on the road for fear of arrest,” he added.
Boniface Sila who works in Nairobi CBD lauded the county’s move saying that it will create an ease of doing business within the CBD. “This is a good move and the operators can now have a better working environment where they will not be harassed by a few wayward county enforcement officers whenever they are picking up or dropping off their clients in the CBD,” Sila said.
“For such a service designated to be used by digital taxi operators should now get ready to reciprocate the county’s good move by paying a small fee to the county government because the county has designated dropping and pick up points within the CBD,” he added.
Sila is one among many people in Nairobi who often miss business opportunities as he has clients from all over the city who sometimes fear coming into town because of such issues with the county enforcement officers.
Media and Communications consultant Kenn Okaka opined that the move was the right step that will help many in the city noting that such initiatives indicated the county Governor’s resolve to deliver a working city. “Governor Sakaja’s administration has set the ball rolling and such actions are good for business in the capital. It is evident that the county administration is working hard because many other development initiatives have been done in the city as opposed to previous regimes which were largely marred by endless politics and PR stunts,” Okaka said.
“This is a positive move from Governor Sakaja’s administration. Such deeds go a long way in making Nairobi a city of dignity and hope,” he added.
This move is one among many which have been initiated by the Sakaja administration in his clarion call of making Nairobi work “Lazima Ita Work” which has been the Governor’s motto.
