Stop selling fake driving licences, Nekundi warns

Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi has warned driving schools and instructors against facilitating the buying of driving licences, saying the practice risks putting unqualified motorists on Namibia’s roads and undermining road safety.

Nekundi delivered the warning in Swakopmund this week as he opened a stakeholder consultation on the proposed registration and regulation of driving schools and instructors, which aims to tighten standards for schools, instructors and training vehicles, while strengthening inspection, monitoring and enforcement.

“Never be the facilitator of driving licence buying,” Nekundi told instructors, driving schools and other road-safety stakeholders.

The minister said the warning comes amid weaknesses in the driving-school sector, including differences in the quality of driver training, inconsistent operating practices, concerns about the competency and professional conduct of some instructors, and the condition and suitability of training vehicles.

“These challenges cannot be ignored,” he said, arguing that they require “proper regulation, clear standards, effective monitoring and meaningful engagement” with people working in the industry.

“Road safety begins long before a driving licence is acquired,” he said, explaining that it starts in the classroom, during a learner’s first lesson behind the wheel and through the quality of instruction given.

He said driving instructors are not merely teaching people to drive but also shape the behaviour and attitudes of future drivers.

“The habits they teach can remain with a driver for decades,” Nekundi said.

New rules

Under the proposed regulatory framework, driving schools would be required to operate as properly registered and accountable businesses, while instructors would be expected to demonstrate both driving and teaching competence.

The framework would also require training vehicles to be properly maintained, roadworthy, safe and suitable for driver training, while seeking to establish a consistent national standard so learners receive an standard quality of training regardless of where they are taught.

Nekundi said regulation would be backed by clear registration procedures, transparent inspection mechanisms, proper record-keeping, monitoring systems and fair and consistent enforcement.

“Regulations are only meaningful if they can be implemented, monitored and enforced effectively,” the minister said.

He also warned that legitimate operators should not be disadvantaged by those who ignore the rules, saying enforcement should identify non-compliance and ensure appropriate corrective action.

Nekundi said the existing Road Traffic and Transport Act of 1999 already provides a legal foundation for regulating driving instructors, including requirements for instructor certificates, training vehicles and the duties of instructors.

However, he said the ministry wants to build on that foundation with a regulatory system that responds to the realities of the modern driving-school industry.

The minister also acknowledged the economic role of driving schools, saying they create employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, but cautioned that commercial interests must not override road safety.

“We cannot compromise public safety in the name of commercial activity,” Nekundi said.

Nekundi called on stakeholders to use the consultation to identify loopholes and propose practical solutions, with the ultimate objective of “saving lives on our roads”.