Nairobi could soon forget about perennial traffic jams if the national and county government embrace a proposal to introduce cable cars in the city.
Brace yourselves for hanging cable cars in Nairobi
Traffic jams in Nairobi city could soon be a thing of the past....
Marc Funda, an expert at Doppelmayr Cable Car, said that Nairobians travelling from Eastlands to the CBD could be the first beneficiaries of the cable car in two to three years if the plan is adopted.
Having conducted a 2-year study on a number of issues that make Nairobi one of the worst cities facing traffic congestion, Funda believes that the Kenyan capital has huge potential for this mode of transport.
The cable cars can ferry at least 4,000 commuters per hour with the large gondolas capable of carrying up to 35 people each; the same as a large van or three vans.
Eastlands was picked as one of the areas to the pilot the project given its huge population and close vicinity to the CBD.
The proposed project links CBD to Eastleigh running through Country Bus, Gikomba, Shauri Moyo, Bahati, Kimathi, Jericho, Buru Buru to Donholm and also links Industrial Area.
If implemented, Nairobi will join a host of other international countries that have embraced cable cars as a mode of public transport such as UK, USA, Germany, Venezuela and Colombia.
Eastlands and other adjacent areas could start piloting the project in about two years if all goes to plan.
The Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan (NIUPLAN) states that for a city with a population of more than three million, a mass public transport mode is usually available, but Nairobi city does not have such transport mode yet.
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: news@pulselive.co.ke