Moja Expressway Chief Executive Officer Steve Zhao on Tuesday, February 7, led in the company’s celebration of the over 10 million customers who have used the Nairobi Expressway since its commissioning in July 2022.
The company awarded 5,000 free toll points to a few lucky users of the Nairobi Expressway at the Westlands Toll Station as part of the celebrations in marking the milestone seven months after the project was commissioned.
In his speech, CEO Zhao underscored the growth rate registered since May 2022, with an average of 50,000 vehicles on a daily basis.
According to him, the Expressway had proved to be revolutionary in Nairobi’s transport network and a key factor in elevating the city as a regional transport hub.
He expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Transport and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) for their role in the actualization of the project.
In addition, the company lauded the role played by the elevated highway in reducing the rate of carbon emissions to the atmosphere.
“A recent study highlighted that if a motorist makes 10,000 trips using the ETC option, they save about 314 litres of fuel and reduce about 670kgs of carbon from the environment,” he stated.
“ETC not only saves time by granting the motorists passage in just 3 seconds, but it also helps save fuel which is a direct contribution to environmental conservation and it also comes with a 5% discount on toll fees per trip.”
In response to the safety concerns raised in the past, the company asserted its commitment towards averting the risks through the raft of measures put in place.
He cited the establishment of the Road Asset and Corridor Management unit as one of the measures adopted in response to threats facing the safety of users. The unit, he noted, provides 24-hour rescue services and hence prevents cases of stalling in fast-moving traffic.
“In the event of an unfortunate incident, the Road Asset Corridor Management unit attends to motorist’s needs promptly and traffic is not disrupted,” the company noted.
On his part, Principal Secretary of the State Department of Roads – Joseph Mbugua lauded the project’s efficiency since its conception to the now-operationalized highway. Further, he urged the company to fast-track the proposed Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) Toll Station.
The Moja Expressway was contracted to collect tolls on the Expressway to compensate for the Ksh59 billion capital invested in the project through a Public Private Partnership deal.
Tuesday’s celebrations came a month after a section of members of parliament raised concerns over the transparency of the Expressway’s operations.
Led by the Leader of the Majority Kimani Ichungwah, the MPs called for an inquiry into the matter to establish the finer details of the contracts and other aspects regarding its operations.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE
