Taxis to be regulated in Nairobi

Legislation to be in place by end of year

All taxis in Nairobi are to be registered with the county government by the end of 2014 in an effort to reduce crime and allow authorities to keep track of who is providing the service around the city.

Nairobi governor Evans Kidero admitted the city does not know how many cabs it has in operation but that the new leglisation would clear this up. He also said that the fitting of radios and meters will be mandatory for all taxis, and that the city planned to apply an access fee for all taxis coming from outside Nairobi.

The move is designed to bring order to the sector in Nairobi which Kidero described as "probably the only city in the world where taxis are not regulated."

The plan has been welcomed by some already-licensed drivers but, due to the city's perennial gridlock traffic, commuters have expressed concerns that taxi fares could increase in 2015.

Currently taxi fares are generally negotiated before the journey, based either on distance or a daily rate.