Over 12 million Kenyans have so far used the 27km Nairobi Expressway, the operator has said.
Moja Expressway Company CEO Steve Zhao said the special road that was constructed under public private partnership has helped decongest the city.
“It has in a big way helped reduce congestion on Mombasa Road,” he said.
On average, about 50,000 vehicles make use of the Nairobi Expressway in a day, a five-times increment from the beginning of the trial operations on May 14, 2022.
Zhao said travelling from Mlolongo towards the city and back was a nightmare a few years ago.
He said travelling through the stretch used to consume up to two hours but with 20 minutes, one can now travel to the city.
With the completion of the multibillion-shilling project, it takes between 15 and 20 minutes to cover the 27km stretch which starts from African Inland Church, Mlolongo, all the way to James Gichuru on Waiyaki Way.
Zhao spoke at their Mombasa Road offices on Tuesday when his company partnered with Wabco Tyres in a six-month promotion aimed at getting more customers to register under the Electronic Toll Collection payment platform.
The partnership with Wabco will see customers who buy four Falken tyre brands get Sh 3,000 worth of toll vouchers while those who buy two tyres will get Sh 1,500 worth of toll vouchers.
Moja business manager Joseph Gitau, Wabco operations manager Abdullahi Shide, Wabco general manager Daud Somane and Moja chief corporate communications officer Leon Lee were present.
The Electronic Toll Collection remains the most preferred payment method in the Nairobi Expressway with over 130,000 subscribers so far.
The platform is not only fast but also saves fuel and reduces the wear and tear on motor vehicles.
At the moment, those who have subscribed to the platform enjoy a five per cent discount per trip while using the expressway, among other offers.
Zhao lauded the partnership with Wabco, saying it is in line with the company’s mission.
“As Moja, we are open to partnering with companies and parties with goodwill to provide solutions that provide win-win gains. It is my hope that this partnership will attract more experts and leaders with similar interests to join us and move this conversation to a greater scale,” he said.
Under the partnership, customers will get pre-loaded onboard units installed and activated from the Nairobi Expressway Service Centre located along Mombasa Road.
The project consists of a four-lane dual carriageway from Mlolongo to the Eastern Bypass and a six-lane dual carriageway from the Eastern Bypass to the Southern Bypass.
The Sh87 billion project was launched by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022.
The road has 11 tolling stations, 54 toll plazas and 54 cameras along the 27km expressway, with 126 cameras inside the toll plazas.
The road is monitored with recordings done at 30-minute intervals.
There’s a smart monitoring system that detects congestion, spillage, vehicle reversals, pedestrian crossing and emergencies.
The dual carriageway has 11 interchanges at Mlolongo, Standard Gauge Railway, JKIA, Eastern Bypass, Southern Bypass, Capital Centre, Haile Selassie Avenue, Museum Hill, Westlands, and James Gichuru Road.
The expressway, with 18.2km on the ground and 8.9km elevated, is a class A, four-lane dual carriageway with a design speed of 80km per hour.
The Expressway was launched on July 31, 2022.
The trial period for the Nairobi Expressway commenced from May 14 to July 30 last year.
The trial phase was to assess the project and establish what needs to be done to enable effective service delivery.
Users will pay between Sh100 and Sh1,500.
The estimated toll per kilometre of the 27.1-km road is Sh11.50.
The toll ranges between Sh6 and Sh30 per kilometre depending on the size of the vehicle.
The charges will depend on the type of vehicle and entry and exit points.
Motorists on light vehicles with two axles will pay Sh100 to Sh300, depending on entry and exit points.
Those on light vehicles with two axles and a high bonnet will pay Sh150 to Sh450, also depending on entry and exit points.
A motorist driving on the expressway from AIC Mlolongo to the Standard Gauge Railway, Syokimau, or Eastern Bypass will part with Sh160.
Drivers with heavy vehicles with fewer than four axles will pay Sh400 to Sh1,200.
Those with heavy vehicles with more than four axles will pay Sh500 to Sh1,500, depending on entry and exit points.
Some vehicles are however exempted from paying toll fees.
These are ambulances, police vehicles, military vehicles, and others to be specified by the ministry.
Boda bodas and tuk-tuks are banned from using the road.