Nekundi maintains hardline stance as Yango bosses jet in

As the 30 April deadline for Yango drivers to obtain public carrier permits (PCPs) approaches, works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi says he is prepared to personally intervene in cases where applications have been pending for more than three months.

Speaking to Namibian Sun yesterday, Nekundi dismissed claims of prolonged delays by the Roads Authority (RA), urging affected drivers to come forward with proof.

This, as representatives of Yango's African operations jetted into Windhoek this week to try and unlock the current impasse with the authorities.

“Where is their proof? We have had more than five meetings since April last year with the Yango representatives, and each time they raise this issue," Nekundi said.

"But when I ask them to provide proof, they have nothing,” he added.

Nekundi said the process should not take more than three months.

"We are now in April. Anyone who can show that they applied in January or earlier, I will personally deal with it. My office is open,” the minister said.

Deadline pressure intensifies

The current push forms part of a series of tightening deadlines imposed on the e-hailing sector over the past year.

As early as mid-2025, operators were instructed to obtain the required permits by the end of September or risk being barred from operating.

More recently, government escalated enforcement by issuing a 56-day ultimatum to e-hailing operators, including Yango and inDrive, to fully comply with national transport laws.

In addition, operators were at one point given as little as 28 days to regularise their operations, a timeframe many in the industry argued is too short given administrative bottlenecks.

Against this backdrop, drivers now face a firm end-of-April cut-off, raising concerns about their ability to meet compliance requirements in time.

Drivers queue amid compliance rush

The minister’s remarks come as dozens of drivers in Windhoek organised a mass registration effort in a bid to meet the looming deadline.

Long queues formed at the NaTIS centre in the northern industrial area yesterday, with drivers attempting to process their permits before the cut-off date.

By mid-morning, some drivers at the front of the queue said they had already been waiting for nearly two hours.

Drivers who fail to secure PCPs risk being unable to continue working on the ride-hailing platform.

As a temporary measure, they can obtain short-term permits valid for 21 days, at a cost of N$850 per renewal, until their full permits are processed.

‘Sluggish’ process

Drivers say while they are willing to comply with the regulations, administrative delays and rising costs are placing them under strain.

“We are willing to comply, but the procedures are taking too long. The temporary permit is expensive, especially for drivers who do not own the vehicles they operate. They still have to pay vehicle owners as well,” said driver Estevao Sebastino, who has been working on the platform for two-and-a-half years.

He suggested that reducing the cost of temporary permits could ease the burden on drivers awaiting approval of their applications.

Another driver, Eino Eino, called for an extension of the deadline, citing inefficiencies in the system.

“It is a sluggish process. Government needs to improve this," he said.

"The minister set a deadline and we want to comply, but it puts drivers under pressure. We have taken the necessary steps, but the facilities do not accommodate us,” he added.

Nekundi, however, remained firm that no further extensions would be granted.

“That’s not how it works. We have been postponing since April last year. If we extend again now, there will still be those who will not apply in time,” he said.