Buying a vehicle is such an emotive process. From the point of identifying the car at the auction, to the point of selection, payment and pre-inspection of the car before it is finally shipped to the port.
At this point your agent takes over the process of clearing your vehicle and paying the necessary taxes to ensure your car is released into your custody. Question is, what is the ideal method of transportation from the port?
Self-drive
This method is by far the most common and popular for customers transporting their cars from the port. You can decide to pick up the vehicle from the container freight station and drive it on your own to Nairobi.
This method will allow you to feel if the vehicle has any mechanical or suspension issues. Before firing to Nairobi, ensure you do a quick oil, lube and coolant change as the treacherous 500-kilometre journey takes a toll on many cars. Also, ensure you leave in a convoy for safety and security reasons.
Chauffeur Service
If you don’t like the hustle of driving, your agent can assign you a trusted driver to drive the vehicle to Nairobi. This normally costs about Ksh. 5000 and takes about half a day to get from the port to the city.
You must ensure that your clearing agent ensures the vehicle is serviced before it is dispatched. A company like Timam Cars offers door to door services giving the client peace of mind.
Carrier Service
This is a costly service as cars are placed on a flatbed truck and transported to Nairobi. The cost may vary from Ksh 20,000-30,000 KSHS and takes two days to land in Nairobi
SGR Service
The newly constructed Standard Gauge Rail service aims at moving goods faster from Mombasa to Nairobi within five hours.
Currently, Kenya Railways is offering amazing packages that allow vehicle importers to use the SGR for delivering cars to the depot in Embakasi.
Though the actual package hasn’t been officially announced, this form of transport will definitely appeal to vehicle importers as it’s faster and safer.
Verdict
If you are looking to buy a car, all the above options will ensure your car gets to you in one piece. Although the prices may vary, all the methods will one way or the other ensure that your car is delivered to