Nairobi has maintained its position as the second-worst city to drive in Africa owing to traffic congestion for the fourth year in a row, taking 11th place on the global scale. Lagos, Nigeria topped the list in Africa and globally.
This was according to the Traffic Index by Numbeo, which placed Nairobi second with an index of 249.0 while Nigeria’s was pegged at 354.5.
The report revealed that the time index for Nairobi was 52.7 in minutes, the average time Kenyans spent on commute time in Nairobi. The carbon dioxide emission index as per the ranking stands at 7772.3.
Despite the improved state of infrastructure in the city, Nairobians still grapple with traffic congestion following challenges such as increased population growth, rapid urbanization and reckless driving.
Additionally, public transport dominates as the main mode of movement for many Kenyans in the city, causing congestion of public service vehicles (PSVs) used for traversing to different parts of the city and its environs.
With the challenge of a staggering population comes a spike in the numbers of private vehicles owned by individuals seeking to mitigate the inconvenience of stiffened access into the city, which consequently adds to the congestion.
Huge traffic jams are experienced on highways leading in and out of the city, with motorists on Thika Road, Jogoo Road, Mombasa Road, Lang’agta Road, Ngong Road and Waiyaki Way dreading peak rush hours over hour-long delays due to congestion.
Reports indicate that every day over 8,000 matatus ply some of the routes ferrying thousands of passengers to and fro.
Data from Nairobi Metropolitan Region Transportation revealed that in 2021, passengers spent 57 minutes on the road for distances that should have taken 10 minutes.
The Nairobi Expressway which was the brainchild of former President Uhuru Kenyatta was built in 2022 to address traffic congestion, cutting the time used to traverse from Waiyaki Way to Mombasa Road down to half an hour from two hours. The only requirement was to pay a toll fee, and many Kenyans were happy to comply.
The only downside was the ban on using the motorway imposed on certain vehicles, including motorcycles (boda bodas), tuk-tuks (three-wheeled autorickshaws), and pedestrians. PSVs are also banned to manage traffic on the high-speed route.