Kenya has bagged Ksh50 billion from a conglomerate of European agencies for the construction of an electric passenger bus lane to reduce congestion.
The European Union (EU), part of the funders of this project said that the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) lane will be the first in East Africa and is part of a system of five such lanes to be developed in Kenya.
The deal was sealed on Wednesday during President William Ruto’s visit to Brussels. He will ensure the EU provides Ksh.6.47 billion in grants, while the European Investment Bank (EIB) and French Development Agency (AFD) will jointly support the projects with Ksh33.9 billion in funding. The Kenyan government will contribute Ksh.9.5 billion and the total will amount to Ksh.50 billion.
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“AFD is very pleased to be part of this Team Europe initiative and to actively contribute to the preparation of this important project for Nairobi and Kenya, ’Lise Breuil, Director of the Mobility Department at AFD said in a statement.
The EU Commissioner, Jutta Urpilainen and Kenya’s Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen signed the declaration of the aspiration to finance the electric bus line.
The Bus Rapid Transport Lane project will start from Kenyatta National Hospital and progress towards Haile Selassie Avenue into the Central Business District, then continue on Race Course Road to Ring Road Ngara to Juja Road and it will end in Dandora.
Main parts of the project are: bus running ways, bus stations, bus depot, station access supporting infrastructure including pedestrian bridges, fare collection and validation systems.
PHOTO/COURTESY: An electric bus on its lane.
Other parts will include: a bus fleet (110-articulated buses), interchange stations for feeder bus services, park-and-ride facilities, a BRT control room, and a real-time passenger information system.
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