As the Kenya National Highway Authority (KENHA) is in the process of expanding the main highways in the country to pave way for more cars and reduce traffic jam, the county government of Kilifi has already come up with a temporary strategy to reduce the jam caused by Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) in Malindi town.
Addressing Journalists, Kilifi County enforcement Director Lenny Katana said that the new policy has already been applied and is currently in full force, adding that they were forced to do so after realizing that most of those causing traffic jam along the Mombasa-Malindi and the Malindi-Lamu highways were the PSV drivers and users.
“As a county we had the proposal of diverting the PSVs from direct entrance into town to decongest traffic jam, and as we speak the proposal passed as is now fully enforced to every single Psv,” he said.
According to the director, PSVs using the Mombasa-Malindi Highgway will be forced to pick and drop their passengers at the main stage using the Ngala route road while those using the Malindi-Lamu highway will be diverting through the Old town route, connecting to casuarinas road towards the Malindi sub-county hospital and finally destination at main stage where they will be picking and dropping passengers.
Mr Katana further said that those that were restricted from direct entrance into the Central BusinessDistrict (CBD) were the PSVs only, adding that private cars, tuk tuks and boda boda operators are free to move in to the CBD.
“This policy is only targeting PSVs, we have vehicles that carry passengers from Mombasa direct to Lamu via Malindi town such vehicles will be allowed to move in to pick and drop their passengers direct, without diverting,” he stated.
However he added that the policy has brought about mixed reactions from the public, derivers and road users.
“The public should be aware that we are in the process to bringing goodies to our roads, we are wondering how comes the same residents whom were complaining over traffic jam during rush hours and the same complaining over the new policy, this is just but the begging and as times goes by they will get used to it,” he said.
He also promised that the county government will be working closely with the PSV drivers.