[Photo/Tuko]
The chaotic traffic in Mombasa is likely to be a thing of the past once the Standard Gauge Railway is completed in June this year. The government expects that the ambitious project, which will be completed at a cost of Sh380 billion, will solve Mombasa’s heavy traffic and congestion at Likoni Ferry, according to a report in The Standard. Experts estimate that the journey from Nairobi to Mombasa on the train, which normally take more than 8 hours on a bus, will take just over 4 hours, making it easier for people to commute between two biggest cities in the country. The June 1 launch of the project will be 18 months ahead of schedule. Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, while releasing details of the launch, said a number of other link roads will be opened to ease movement in the city. “Our approach is to have an integrated transport system. We can’t do one aspect of it and leave out the rest. The sea ports, the airport and the railway must all be linked to ease accessibility,” he said, as quoted by The Standard. According to the CS, the completion of the project will lead to movement of goods from the port by road cut short by about 40%. “We will move 22 million tonnes of cargo. Up from around 2 million tonnes every year,” Macharia said. “There will be business for everyone. New roads are opening up in areas previously unreachable. This will provide new opportunities for those in the transport business,” he added.
Soon after June 1, when the project is fully completed and automated, the Mombasa port will be able to move more than 2 million containers every year. President Uhuru Kenyatta is scheduled to open the project, and will be part of the passengers traveling on the inaugural train journey from Nairobi to Mombasa after the launch.