Shame on RUTO and SAKAJA as Nairobi is ranked among the worst cities in the world in terms of public transport – Look!

 

Friday, November 25, 2022 – Kenya’s Capital, Nairobi, has been ranked among the cities with the worst public transit system globally.

According to the 2022 Urban Mobility Readiness Index, compiled by the Oliver Wyman Forum and the University of California Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies, Nairobi was ranked 59th out of a survey of 60 cities worldwide, scoring 25 percent – a figure below the average threshold of 51.7 percent. 

The low score was attributed to low or moderate rates of car ownership and less developed public transit systems which resulted in high levels of walking. 

The survey also noted that the development of electric vehicles faced headwinds due to a lack of investments. 

However, the survey gave Nairobi a lifeline- noting that low car ownership presented an opportunity to rapidly adopt a strong EV market and essentially leapfrog the leaders within the market. 

Aside from public transit systems, the report ranked cities based on two other factors; Urban Mobility Readiness (a factor that considers how well-positioned global cities are to lead the mobility’s next chapter) and sustainable mobility (which measures how well cities are shifting to electric and diverting from greenhouse gas emissions.

In the survey, Hong Kong’s mass transit railway was ranked first globally. This was attributed to low fares, limited delays, service disruptions, and the ability of the system to support itself financially.

Zurich, Stockholm, Singapore, and Helsinki rounded out the five best cities for public transit respectively.