Politics and policy
By NEVILLE OTUKI, notuki@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
- The initiative is part of a road safety campaign aimed at ensuring transporters and other travellers take breaks during long journeys.
- It's also expected that the stations will grow into business hubs that will create job opportunities and wealth.
The government, in partnership with private
investors, will expedite the construction of more roadside stations to
serve as resting points for long distance transporters.
The stations are expected to provide secure parking yards
for transit vehicles as well as rest facilities, restaurants, health
facilities for the vehicle operators and travellers.
The initiative is part of a road safety campaign
aimed at ensuring transporters and other travellers take breaks during
long journeys.
“We will speed up the construction of roadside
stations for long distance transporters for safety reasons,” said Deputy
President William Ruto at the opening of a roadside stations investor
conference in Nairobi on Tuesday.
The government also expects the stations to grow
into business hubs that will create job opportunities and wealth. Mr
Ruto encouraged investors to move with speed in grabbing the
opportunities made available by the planned project.
Currently, only a handful of roadside stations in
the country are well established including Sultan Hamud, Mlolongo and
Salgaa on Mombasa Road.
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) last
September said that plans were underway to involve the private sector in
developing parking yards for petroleum product transporters on the busy
northern corridor linking Mombasa to Malaba and Busia.
In the ERC deal, private sector players would provide the parking bays and earn revenue from fees levied on truck owners.
The proposed location of the parking yards would be
vetted by a team of industry experts before the developer is given the
go-ahead to build. The facilities will also be licensed by the ERC.
On Tuesday, ERC senior manager petroleum Edward Kinyua said that consultations were still ongoing.
Requirements
The regulator last year said that developers will
be required to have a minimum land size of two acres, located not more
than two kilometres from the main highway and at least one kilometre
from areas of residence.
ERC further outlined that the yards should be
accessible through all-weather roads, have adequate water storage and
fire-fighting equipment, clean accommodation and boarding services for
the drivers and alcohol-free restaurants and prayer rooms.
They should also have ample security and special facilities to administer alcohol tests for departing drivers.
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