City responds to ‘black hole’ warning with transport commitments

The City of Windhoek has outlined firm commitments to reform the capital’s struggling transport system after experts warned it is stuck in a “black hole” of low trust and weak performance.

In a media statement issued last week, the City said the urban mobility session, where the warning was issued, marked a deliberate shift towards building a “trust-rich pathway”, with a strong emphasis on institutional commitment and implementation.

Windhoek's strategic executive for urban and transport planning, Pierre van Rensburg, said the approach was designed to address a longstanding gap between planning and delivery. “Workshops often generate valuable ideas, but without clear ownership, implementation can fall short,” he said. “Our objective was to ensure that a responsible institution and a defined commitment support each proposal emerging from this session.”

The City underlined that only proposals backed by clear institutional ownership will be formally submitted to ensure accountability from the outset.

Dominic Wilhelm, executive director of the Global Trust Project, cautioned that stakeholder feedback places Windhoek’s mobility system in a “black hole quadrant”.

Wilhelm warned that systems with both low trust and low performance struggle to function effectively.

Ready to act

The City said there is a strong willingness among stakeholders to act, with the latest session focused on turning that intent into practical outcomes.

Discussions centred on three priority areas identified by the City: securing sustainable funding for transport improvements, finalising the draft Public Passenger Transport Act, and strengthening coordination among institutions responsible for planning, financing, regulating, and delivering mobility services.

On funding, proposals include an annual fiscus allocation and the introduction of fuel levies to provide more predictable financial support for transport improvements.

The draft Public Passenger Transport Act is expected to provide a stronger legislative framework to support governance and implementation of Namibia’s public transport system.

Improving coordination between institutions was identified as a critical step towards more integrated service delivery, with the City noting that fragmentation has contributed to inefficiencies in the current system.