Integration of Non-Motorised Transport Systems in the planning and development of Medium sized towns in Kenya. A case of Eldoret Municipality

Abstract

Transport is a basic precondition of a sustainable society, a livable world, and a localized economy. Today, however, virtually all cities in the world are faced with transport problems of one kind or another, and efforts towards ensuring a satisfactory level of mobility in these cities, especially in third-world countries, have not achieved much success, and the situation remains elusive to urban and transport planners. The failure to articulate the needs of all transport components and users and the lack of proper conceptualization of the prevailing urban land use patterns, structure and transport planning policies seems to have been the major cause of the current urban mobility conflicts facing our medium-sized towns today.

The study was undertaken in Eldoret town and sought to examine how urban transport using a non-motorized transport system can be integrated into the planning and development of medium-sized towns in Kenya. It laid emphasis on the Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) component, a systemt, in spite of being environmentally friendly and economically consistent, has not been fully integrated as a transport system in our towns as explained by the little attention in terms of space and financial allocation accorded to it.

The main issues covered included examining the current land use and transport system in Eldoret and the relationship between the two, assessing NMT role and the extent to which it has been catered for in the town, and proposing development strategies for integrating the urban transport system into the overall urban structure. The findings derived revealed, a great potential for NMT as a mode of transport in Eldoret arising from the number of trips either made on foot or cycling. It emerged also that needs of NMT cannot be articulated in isolation from those of Motorised Transport (MT) for most conflicts arise when each is articulated in isolation, and finally, the structure of the town, land use pattern, and its historical growth were identified as some of the essential attributes significant in determining the nature and viability of a given mode of transport. For instance, a town located on a steep gradient like Kisii is not favorable to NMT use, while a rather gently sloping town like Busia or Bungoma tends to attract large volumes of NMT.

From the research findings, the study recommends the need to decentralize major employment and socio-economic infrastructures away from the central business district (CBD) for they make NMT users covering along distance which makes it less viable and unfriendly. Decentralization could also reduce congestion within the CBD and the resultant conflicts. As part of enhancement of NMT integration, the study recommends that some routes currently used by both NMT and MT could be closed especially in the evening and weekends for either pedal or pedestrian users. Examples involving Nandi-Elijah Cheruiyot and Sosiani road that links Moi Referral and Teaching Hospital to the Bus Terminus and the western direction of the town. Finally, since the current planning has left no space for NMT provision, the study recommends traffic calming along the existing facilities in order to create room and coexistence for both NMT and MT.