New rules ease traffic on busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway

Athi River traffic police boss Agnes Makau controls traffic at Devki Junction on the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway yesterday. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Motorists plying the Nairobi-Mombasa highway can breathe a sigh of relief after the traffic department in Athi River introduced new rules to address traffic snarl-up on the busy highway.

Vehicles from Mombasa Road can now join Athi River feeder road through the junction while those joining Mombasa Road from Athi River can only enter the highway through the interchange junction.

The junction has for years been known as the major contributor of the gridlock and accidents as it had no set rules of entry and exit.

Police have now cautioned motorists against making U-turns when joining the highway, saying those caught flouting the new rules will be punished.

Ordinarily, motorist plying the busy highway experience traffic gridlock especially on Fridays and Saturdays.

The stretch between Mlolongo and Machakos Junction is usually characterised by heavy traffic on weekends.

In some instances, motorists have spent up to 12 hours in the cold as trailers plying the route worsen the situation through overlapping.

But for the past six weeks, traffic flow along the stretch has improved thanks to the closure of Devki, Athi River junction.

"We have experienced a massive change in traffic flow courtesy of the Devki junction closure. We are so delighted we will now save fuel and time while using this route,” said Ali Guyo a trailer driver.

The move has also seen a reduction in accidents at the junction especially involving bodaboda riders unlike in the past where a day hardly passed without an accident.

The danger of the overlapping vehicles was clear and boda boda riders were the most affected,” said Edwin Kimanzi a boda boda rider.