Taskforce for B1, B2
One of the priorities for the transport ministry during the current financial year is the establishment of a taskforce for the B1 and B2 highways, where the highest crash and fatality rates are recorded in the country.
The taskforce be comprised of representatives from the office of the judiciary, the office of the prosecutor-general, the Namibian police, the City Police, Roads Authority (RA) inspectors and local authorities.
The B1 stretch from Windhoek to Oshikango and the B2 stretch from Windhoek to Swakopmund are described as the most dangerous roads in Namibia.
Works and transport minister, John Mutorwa, said during his budget motivation last week the aim of taskforce will be to supress lawlessness on these two roads.
According to him an in-depth analysis of road data revealed a high prevalence of fatality-related road crashes on the B1 and B2 trunk roads.
“Premised on the undertaking that road safety awareness campaigns alone are incapable of producing road user change conducive to road safety, efforts are underway to mobilise all stakeholders towards the establishing of a pilot law-enforcement taskforce on both the B1 and B2 roads.”
According to Mutorwa, the taskforce will, among others, increase the visibility of traffic police, be responsible for the prompt detection and isolation of traffic offenders and the quick dispatch of emergency responses, as well as the speedy handling of traffic-related court cases.
“This will however require a strong collaboration between all sectors involved in road safety,” he said.
Furthermore, Mutorwa said the initiative to integrate road safety into the school curriculum is still ongoing, in close collaboration with the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) under the education ministry.
To date, the integration for grades 1 to 9 has taken place.
According to Mutorwa the teaching and learning materials for grades 10 and 11 have been produced and approved by NIED. However, the training of teachers for the two grades is still pending and is set to take place during the current financial year.
“The delay was mainly on account of limited funding,” said Mutorwa.
Preparatory work for grade 12 is underway and will be intensified during the 2019/20 financial year.
“This being a work in progress, the project will continue until 2023, by which time road safety education should have covered both primary and secondary school phases,” he said.
The abovementioned projects fall under the Formulation of Transportation Policy and Regulation Policy and Oversight Programme, for which an amount of N$43.092 million was allocated.
Mutorwa added it will be a formidable task to develop and maintain the roads and railway lines in the country.
He said the current trend of transport for heavy loads on the roads is unsustainable, as it does not only result in many car crashes, but high road maintenance costs as well.
“Faced with weekly, and in some instances monthly horrendous crashes, which are robbing our country of mostly economically (active) citizens, as a country we need to move to rail transport for heavy loads instead of roads.”
Mutorwa said Namibia's railway network is more than a hundred years old and requires urgent upgrading and reconstruction.
An amount of N$712.087 million was allocated for the provision and upgrading of the railway network.
Mutorwa also elaborated on the changing climatic conditions that are degrading road infrastructure.
“Excessive floodwater during the rainy season in the northern part of the country is a basic reality that requires proactive planning and response. In the southern part of the country road wash-away affects the national infrastructure nearly every rainy season.”
According to him these natural challenges make the preservation of government road infrastructure assets a daunting task.
Mutorwa said it is an open secret that the nation is worried about the seemingly inflated costs being incurred for the construction of infrastructure.
“Be assured that such issues are being addressed for the benefit of this nation and as a ministry we are determined and more than ready to uproot all unscrupulous elements involved in such degrading activities, wherever and whoever.”
An amount of N$2.01 billion has been allocated for the Planning and Development of Transportation Infrastructure Programme.
ELLANIE SMIT
The taskforce be comprised of representatives from the office of the judiciary, the office of the prosecutor-general, the Namibian police, the City Police, Roads Authority (RA) inspectors and local authorities.
The B1 stretch from Windhoek to Oshikango and the B2 stretch from Windhoek to Swakopmund are described as the most dangerous roads in Namibia.
Works and transport minister, John Mutorwa, said during his budget motivation last week the aim of taskforce will be to supress lawlessness on these two roads.
According to him an in-depth analysis of road data revealed a high prevalence of fatality-related road crashes on the B1 and B2 trunk roads.
“Premised on the undertaking that road safety awareness campaigns alone are incapable of producing road user change conducive to road safety, efforts are underway to mobilise all stakeholders towards the establishing of a pilot law-enforcement taskforce on both the B1 and B2 roads.”
According to Mutorwa, the taskforce will, among others, increase the visibility of traffic police, be responsible for the prompt detection and isolation of traffic offenders and the quick dispatch of emergency responses, as well as the speedy handling of traffic-related court cases.
“This will however require a strong collaboration between all sectors involved in road safety,” he said.
Furthermore, Mutorwa said the initiative to integrate road safety into the school curriculum is still ongoing, in close collaboration with the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) under the education ministry.
To date, the integration for grades 1 to 9 has taken place.
According to Mutorwa the teaching and learning materials for grades 10 and 11 have been produced and approved by NIED. However, the training of teachers for the two grades is still pending and is set to take place during the current financial year.
“The delay was mainly on account of limited funding,” said Mutorwa.
Preparatory work for grade 12 is underway and will be intensified during the 2019/20 financial year.
“This being a work in progress, the project will continue until 2023, by which time road safety education should have covered both primary and secondary school phases,” he said.
The abovementioned projects fall under the Formulation of Transportation Policy and Regulation Policy and Oversight Programme, for which an amount of N$43.092 million was allocated.
Mutorwa added it will be a formidable task to develop and maintain the roads and railway lines in the country.
He said the current trend of transport for heavy loads on the roads is unsustainable, as it does not only result in many car crashes, but high road maintenance costs as well.
“Faced with weekly, and in some instances monthly horrendous crashes, which are robbing our country of mostly economically (active) citizens, as a country we need to move to rail transport for heavy loads instead of roads.”
Mutorwa said Namibia's railway network is more than a hundred years old and requires urgent upgrading and reconstruction.
An amount of N$712.087 million was allocated for the provision and upgrading of the railway network.
Mutorwa also elaborated on the changing climatic conditions that are degrading road infrastructure.
“Excessive floodwater during the rainy season in the northern part of the country is a basic reality that requires proactive planning and response. In the southern part of the country road wash-away affects the national infrastructure nearly every rainy season.”
According to him these natural challenges make the preservation of government road infrastructure assets a daunting task.
Mutorwa said it is an open secret that the nation is worried about the seemingly inflated costs being incurred for the construction of infrastructure.
“Be assured that such issues are being addressed for the benefit of this nation and as a ministry we are determined and more than ready to uproot all unscrupulous elements involved in such degrading activities, wherever and whoever.”
An amount of N$2.01 billion has been allocated for the Planning and Development of Transportation Infrastructure Programme.
ELLANIE SMIT
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