By: Nicholas Kweyu
The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has made plans for the Machakos Country Bus Terminus to be converted into an underground car parking bay. The NMS has noted that city motorists lack sufficient space to park their vehicles hence the need to expand parking space.
According to the NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi, the planned parking area will have multiple stories and will be operated digitally with car owners being charged by the hour.
This project is meant to emulate the already implemented parking bay at the Holy Family Basilica Church that was opened in December 2019. It has 4 floors and 536 parking spaces- an increase from the 120 spaces that were previously available. It is a high-tech parking solution that also has the ability to charge electric vehicles.
“You will come pay through mobile money, leave your car there and it will be parked for you in whichever floor of that building,” said the Director-General.
This move is a part of a bigger project that is meant to have other parking areas in the city converted into underground parking bays which will increase capacity considerably. Major General Badi has said that the NMS is also in the process of developing underground parking for the Sunken car park in the Nairobi CBD.
“We have seen it is affordable and we are now going to ensure that there’s enough underground parking for Nairobi residents,” said Badi.
Parking slots on the street will be turned into spaces for pedestrians and cyclists as part of a consolidated plan to decongest the capital.