| dc.description.abstract | Public transportation is an essential service and a necessary input in the development process
of a town/city and the nation at large. For towns/cities in developing countries like Nakuru, the role
of public transport is even much more given that majority of people cannot afford private ca and the
only next cheap motorized transport is public transport. However, public transport in Nakuru is
facing various problems ( internal and external) which make it ineffective and inefficient thus leading
to deterioration of the level of services it provides to commuters.
There are several causes of urban public transport problems in Nakuru town. Mainly, these
include: inadequate and lack of proper maintenance of the transport infrastructural facilities;
concentration of economic, employment, and other land use activities in central area 0 the town
resulting in huge traffic that is increasingly becoming unmanageable or unsustainable; skewe supply
of public transport services; lack of adequate traffic management and disorganized operations of the
mode of public transport,
The main focus of the this thesis is on the operations and It Ianagernent of paratransit
transport services within Nakuru. A lot of emphasis has been p.aced on the levels 0 services
provided which are basically composed of density of route network, period of operation, and
frequency of operation. A background of the evolution of public
transport in Nakuru town has been discussed to show how public transport agencies/operators have
responded to the growing demand. The study, subsequently concentrates on matatu ( the only mode
of public transport) and looks at the various aspects of matati. industry/operations which are
discussed before summarising the problems revealed by the study.
(v)
To appreciate the discussions and analyses in this study, a number of aspects and
characteristics of the study area have also been discussed.
Possible solutions to the public transport problems in Nakuru town were given in form of
policy recommendations based on the findings.
In conclusion, the study stresses that to solve the public transport problems in akuru town,
concerted effort is required among all those concerned; the government, the MeN, the operators at d
the general public. The study finds that Matatu is here to stay and will continue to offer public
transport services for many years to come since it is cost effective th. 11 publicly owned bus companies
or the conventional buses therefore evelY effort should be made to incorporate it .n ie public
transport system. A deliberate effort should be made to consoiidate minibuses and taxis into
cooperative type organizations which would make for better returns and improved services 0 the
riders, since the expanding self-managed firm experiences less cost increase due to managerial
diseconomies of scale than private and public companies.
This will in the long run offer effective and efficient public transport services to residents. | en_US |
