Providing and Managing the Bus Terminus/Station: As a Way of Improving Urban Mobility and Access in Kenya

In the past few years Africa countries have developed infrastructure to a larger scale than they have ever done in the last 40 years or so since independence. Though the improvement is welcome, two sectors have been completely ignored. Firstly, the physical structures that are the terminus, the bus stops and parking spaces within the terminal. In many instances facilities such as waiting areas, restrooms, organized shopping areas, luggage deposits and freight areas are lacking or poorly planned. Safety and security concerns have arisen, especially for long distance night travel, passengers stay in the buses until day-break or hire a hotel room. Those who venture out, have reported cases of being mugged and others almost killed. Secondly is the issue of policy and institutional goodwill from government entities to provide and maintain such facilities. The current situation shows that interest is only in the levying of parking fees payable by the travel companies, and to meet these demand, allocations of parking spaces are made along main roads creating bottle necks and traffic snarl-ups. These locations are also not ideal for provision of terminals and supporting facilities. The paper looks at the current situation in an effort to find out the existence, adequacy and management of these facilities. It recommends that the public transport sector must provide bus terminus in urban areas that is properly designed, having proper places to eat, waiting rooms/lounges and clean restrooms. All these places should ensure the security of the passengers and their families. There should be adequate parking for passengers’ cars and drop off zones. In the rural areas, the same facilities should be replicated at a smaller scale. When these facilities are provided they must be maintained and managed properly by a facilities or property manager. Hence the need to include the management of these facilities in the management courses taught at institutions of higher learning. The future of mobility in Kenya is not just about building of roads and railway infrastructure, it is about a proper interchange and provision of the last mile.