Just a few days after motorists were allowed to use the Westlands roundabout, traffic jam is proving to be unbearable for motorists.
It is no longer a secret that the closure of the right turns at the Westlands roundabout was a brilliant idea that solved what was a major problem for the flow of traffic along Waiyaki Way.
A decision to reopen the right turns at the junction has received massive condemnation by a section of city dwellers even as Governor Mike Sonko remains mum over the matter.
In 2015, as part of a plan to ease Nairobi traffic, the roundabout was closed. Since that time, motorists could only make a left turn from Ring Road Westlands before making a U-turn near Consolata Shrine so as to proceed to Kangemi.
Vehicles coming from Raphta Road towards Westlands were only allowed to be driven towards Kangemi and could take a U-turn near Brookside Groove to drive towards Westlands.
The reversal of this decision has now caused mayhem on the critical city road. A motorist who spoke to Hivisasa.com on Tuesday evening said they had spent one-and-half hours from Safaricom PLC headquarters to Chiromo.
Matatu operators plying the route have also hiked fares due to the snarl-up.
"Those of us who live along Waiyaki Way we are used to better charges from matatus' even during peak hours but since yesterday when the Westlands roundabout was opened the fares have gone up more than we can bare. Why? Why? Why? Hii ni hujuma, they are plan finish us," decried one Agoi George.
It was under the administration of former Governor Evans Kidero that the right turns from Rhapta and Ring roads were abolished in an ambitious plan to replace five major roundabouts with signalised intersections.
At the time, Kidero's administration had projected that doing away with Westlands, University Way-Uhuru Highway, Bunyala Road, Nyayo Stadium and Kenyatta Avenue-Uhuru Highway roundabouts would improve flow by about 30 to 40 per cent.
This has, however, remained a dream, placed in hands of some operatives allegedly sleeping on their job in solving traffic menace in the city.
Governor Sonko, in his 2017 seven-point manifesto had won many hears saying he'd fix Nairobi's problems within 100 days in office. Top on his list was easing the unforgiving city traffic.
He fronted the idea of establishing the county traffic control command centre and pledged incentives to high-capacity buses as a way of encouraging their use in the city.
Hitherto, things have are still the same if not worse.
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