Grootfontein municipality boosts service fleet

The Grootfontein municipality unveiled a fleet of five new Toyota single-cab bakkies last week at a cost of N$1.4 million.

The vehicles will be allocated to key municipal departments to improve response times and service delivery.

“This is an investment for the council and we will ensure that we deliver services efficiently,” said Grootfontein mayor Moritz Gaingob.

The new cars are expected to address longstanding challenges caused by breakdowns, an ageing fleet and months-long repair delays in municipal workshops. The council has previously operated machinery dating back to the 1970s, affecting service delivery and prompting concern among residents.

The vehicles will be fitted with tracking systems to monitor their location and driving behaviour. The municipality also plans to auction older machinery to raise funds for modern equipment, including a heavy-duty grader.

“These vehicles are not for personal use but to provide fast, flexible and quality services to our residents,” Gaingob said.

Two of the new bakkies will be allocated to the technical department for the sewer and plumbing section, one to environmental health, one to the education department and one for general council use. A sixth vehicle, expected by the end of March, will also be assigned to environmental health. Further allocations are planned once older vehicles have been refurbished.

“Let us provide good, fast and flexible services. Let us not use it to deliver our children at school and do shopping around, let us use it by providing services to the residents,” Gaingob said.