Mines join forces to improve C28 road safety

Mining companies operating along Namibia’s C28 corridor have launched a joint road safety campaign and signed a voluntary charter aimed at improving safety on one of the country’s busiest and fastest-growing transport routes.

The C28 Road Safety Campaign and C28 Voluntary Road Safety Charter were launched last Tuesday during the Chamber of Mines Safety Conference in Windhoek.

The initiative brings together Bannerman Mining Resources Namibia, Deep Yellow Namibia, Langer Heinrich Uranium, Swakop Uranium, Elspe, the Roads Authority, E-Med Rescue 24, SpillTech and the Namib-Naukluft National Park in a collective effort to promote safer road use.

Deep Yellow Namibia managing director Zebra Kasete said road safety requires cooperation between all stakeholders using the corridor.

“The C28 is more than a transport route for mining operations. It is a public road used daily by tourists, local communities, suppliers and businesses," he said during the keynote address.

"As mining activity increases, so too does our responsibility to ensure that every person travelling this road arrives home safely,” Kasete said.

He added: “If this charter prevents even one fatality or helps one driver make a safer decision, it will have achieved something truly meaningful.”

Kasete said the C28, commonly referred to as the back road between Swakopmund and Windhoek, is expected to experience significant traffic growth as mining projects advance towards production.

“Participating mining companies alone anticipate regular movements of more than 33 Quantum buses, 37 larger buses, 124 light-duty vehicles and 114 heavy-duty trucks, excluding public traffic, tourism and local community travel,” he said.

The expected increase in traffic has raised concerns about the need for coordinated safety measures along the corridor.

Death on the roads

The campaign was launched against the backdrop of national road safety challenges.

Between 1 January and 26 July, Namibia recorded 1 637 road crashes, resulting in 2 807 injuries and 259 fatalities.

Through the C28 Voluntary Road Safety Charter, participating organisations have committed to prioritising safety above production schedules and operational pressures, promoting defensive driving (a proactive method of operating a vehicle to save lives, time and money despite adverse conditions or the mistakes of other drivers), managing driver fatigue and ensuring vehicle roadworthiness.

The charter also focuses on sharing information about road hazards, improving contractor and visitor awareness, learning from incidents and strengthening emergency preparedness and response along the C28 corridor.

Coordinating team

To support the long-term implementation of the initiative, the managing directors of participating mining companies have agreed to establish a C28 Road Safety Committee.

The committee will oversee the implementation of the charter, coordinate awareness campaigns, review incidents, engage stakeholders and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Kasete said responsible mining involves more than economic contributions.

“As our operations grow, we want the benefits of mining to extend beyond employment, procurement and economic development. We also want to leave behind stronger partnerships, safer communities and safer public infrastructure,” he said.