The first roadside truck stopover complex has been opened along the Northern Corridor at Sultan Hamud along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
According to the developers, Superior Homes Kenya, the complex, dubbed “Supastop”, is valued at Sh350 million and seeks to promote road safety along the route and provide an all-in-one safe and secure resting point for long-distance truck drivers and travelers who park along the route daily.
Supastop features modern amenities including a fuel station, ample and secure parking, affordable accommodation, restrooms, shower facilities, a health facility, convenience stores and eateries, prayer rooms and a, secure truck checkpoint.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lucy Mulili said “Since the onset of devolution, we have seen growth in all the counties which has attracted investment. The significance of Mombasa, Nairobi highway, commonly known as the Northern corridor, has led to the growth of towns and market centers along the highway. The opening of this Super Stop marks a significant milestone in the economic growth of this area. The human nature of providing a stop for truck drivers to rest, eat, and pray is one of a kind.”
Sultan Hamud is identified as a major parking spot for long-distance trucks with an estimated 300 trucks parking along the roadside every night. It is the center of a 145 km stretch between Mtito Andei and Salama but has been lacking decent accommodation facilities for long-distance transit drivers.
Superior Homes Kenya Chief Executive Officer Shiv Arora noted that Supastop represents a significant upgrade in infrastructure and the logistics sector in Kenya, providing a safe, clean, and comfortable environment for long-distance truck drivers and other travellers.
“As a company, our main drive towards putting up this development was to tap into the existing gap in the market by providing a one-stop shop for long-distance truck drivers and travellers a safe decent, and comfortable resting facility. Our goal is to not only champion and encourage rest among long-distance truck drivers but also improve their overall experience on the road”, he said.
According to the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority, human error accounts for 92 per cent of accidents along the Northern Corridor
Also present at the event was Superior Homes Kenya Managing Director Ian Henderson who termed fatigue among long-distance transit drivers as a major cause of most road accidents.
“Road safety and security have been a major concern for drivers, passengers and cargo plying the Northern Corridor route. Over the years, traffic accidents caused by heavy commercial vehicles and long-distance passenger buses along the Northern Corridor have been on the rise, which has mostly been linked to long-distance driving, driver fatigue, and mechanical breakdown,” said Superior Homes Kenya Managing Director Ian Henderson.
Supastop is a pilot project in partnership with the Northern Corridor Transit and Transit Corridor (NCTTCA) which is mandated to guarantee free passage of transit traffic along the member states of the Northern Corridor. The Supastop development at Sultan Hamud is Superior Homes Kenya’s pilot project of 30 proposed locations along the Northern Corridor.
