Over 1 600 fines issued in 20 days

A N$3.5 million road-safety campaign on two of Namibia's deadliest routes has resulted in more than 1 600 fines totalling nearly N$1.6 million being issued.

More than 60 traffic officers were assigned to the campaign on the B1 and B2 national roads.

The police and partners involved in the operation are confident it has made a substantial dent in traffic violations so far.

They hope it will strengthen road-safety awareness and significantly reduce accidents.

“So far the operation is going very, very well. Lawlessness has been reduced, people who ignore traffic regulations are now fewer,” the head of the Nampol traffic unit, Deputy Commissioner Amalia Gawanas, told Namibian Sun this week.

She said 64 Namibian Police traffic officers, in addition to nearly a dozen officers from local authorities and five from the Roads Authority (RA), have been deployed between Noordoewer and Oshikango on the B1 road, and from Okahandja to Walvis Bay on the B2, since 1 August.

To date, 1 687 summonses totalling about N$1.5 million have been issued and 9 619 drivers have been screened for alcohol.

In total 48 arrests were made on the spot of which 33 were for driving under the influence of alcohol. The police also stopped more than 2 100 taxis of which 90 of their drivers tested positive for alcohol.





However, not all of them were over the legal limit.

She said those who tested positive but were still under the limit were given strict instructions not to drink at all when driving and were given time to sober ups before continuing their journey.

In total, 26 people have been arrested for offences ranging from falsified licence discs to inconsiderate driving.



WORRISOME

Road-safety campaigns seem to have had some success. The latest statistics released by the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund show that crashes have dropped by 12%, injuries by 20% and fatalities by 31% compared to the same period last year.

Between January and 19 August this year, 342 people were killed and 3 663 injured in 2 292 car accidents.

Over the same period in 2017, 453 people died and 4 257 were injured in 2 434 crashes.

Mona-Liza Garises of the MVA fund says the high annual death toll remains worrisome and requires drastic measures.

With an average 700 deaths each year, Namibia's roads are among the top 10 most dangerous in the world.

Gawanas says the current campaign can be traced back to a 2016 cabinet instruction to get the carnage under control.

Despite an injection of N$3.5 million from the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), the campaign will end on 6 September because of money constraints, Gawanas says.

She urges all Namibians to get on board to help the authorities tackle lawlessness on the roads.

“When you receive a motor vehicle licence to drive, you have a big responsibility to other road users. During this campaign those people on the roads are doing their utmost. But motorists should be aware that it's not just about police visibility. It should be each and everyone's responsibility to make our roads safe,” she says.

“We are doing our utmost to curb this situation. However, we do need other stakeholders to come on board, so that we can join hands to fight the road carnage.”

Gawanas says the police are focusing not only on catching traffic offenders, but also on education.

Led by Nampol, the joint task force includes the NRSC, the MVA Fund, the Roads Authority, the Private Sector Road Safety Forum, municipal traffic departments in Windhoek, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Henties Bay, Keetmanshoop and Otjiwarongo, and the works and transport ministry.

JANA-MARI SMITH



STOP THE CARNAGE: Eight people, including three children, were burnt beyond recognition in a car between Otavi and Otjiwarongo this month. PHOTO: NAMPA