Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary General Francis Atwoli has appealed to the government to halt the introduction of a two day car free programme until elaborate plans for workers welfare was put in place.
Atwoli said the Wednesday and Saturday car fee days in the CBD will be a punishment to workers who may lose their jobs simply because they will not report to their work stations on time.
According to Atwoli the government has not yet given out an alternative plan that will make the exercise successful, further adding that the issue of traffic jam is yet to be addressed yet the population in Nairobi continues to grow.
“The government does not have a good plan of implementing the plan. All it intends to make workers jobless as they will report late to job,” said Atwoli in a press statement released through various media outlets.
Atwoli further observed that Nairobi is the worst planned city in the world and restricting vehicles on Thursday and Wednesday was ironical and unacceptable.
“Forcing vehicles out of the CBD to create an open air market to traders is making the condition worse, I petition the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure James Macharia to move with speed and stop this plan for it is not healthy, how can a Kenyans walk from Riruta to the CBD, its almost 10 Kilometers, how can someone walk from Nyayo stadium to the CBD if only walking from Ngara to town requires six Kilometer?” asked Atwoli.
He called on workers who own vehicles to defy the government order and allow their vehicles in the town Central Business District.
This comes barely two days after Macharia on Monday announced a plan to bar vehicles from entering the CBD on Wednesdays and Saturdays starting February 1 and Nairobi residents are far from pleased.
According to Macharia, the directive is meant to decongest the city and increase revenue collection for the county.
By Alice Gworo
