By Marx Itamalo /
THE minister of works and transport Veikko Nekundi said that he had tabled a document in parliament where he had laid out detailed plans on transforming the country’s transport sector.
The minister said this in an interview this week. According to him, there are many laws that need to be changed or amended as they are detrimental to the sector’s progress and are badly affecting people, especially drivers and many others involved in the transport sector.
Nekundi specifically pointed out the issue of the issuing of transport permits, which he stressed that is a frustrating process which is also being abused by some unscrupulous officials within the ministry because of loopholes in the law guiding the issuing of these sought-after documents.
Transport permits are mainly issued to bus and taxi owners who want to be legally engaged in the transport business.
For many years, there have been complaints from bus and taxi owners, that officials from the works and transport ministry solicit bribes from anyone willing to have a transport permit and that those who refuse to pay bribes have to wait for ages before they receive their permits.
In most cases, people allege, applications are not processed at all, frustrating the applicants until eventually they pay the bribes.
Allegations were also that, the officials issue multiple permits to family members, close relatives and associates, who will then rent them out to members of the public, earning thousands of dollars monthly.
This, Nekundi said, will be a thing of the past if his proposals and recommendations are signed into a law.
“I have personally received complaints regarding the matter. There are a lot of things that need to be changed in that Act and I have already submitted a document with proposals and recommendations regarding the Transport Act,” he said.
The minister stressed that a special committee within the justice and labour relations ministry will put the document into legal language, before it is forwarded to the attorney general who will ensure the document complies with the constitution.
Another issue, which Nekundi said he has addressed in the document, is the high ticket fees that many motorists are complaining about.
“I have made recommendations regarding the matter. The fees are high and looking to the economic situation of many of our people, it cannot be like that,” he noted adding he has also proposed for the fees to be reduced, outstanding ticket fees to be scrapped or for traffic offenders to have an option of paying in installments.
Namibian drivers, especially those in the transport sector should also have a reason to smile as Nekundi has directed that no ticket would be issued in the name of a vehicle driver if the vehicle was found with a problem.
The ticket will be issued in the name of the vehicle owner or operator instead. This has not been the case in the past, and had irked drivers in the past.
“The law is clear on this. You cannot punish the driver for a mistake or a violation which is not their own. If Anna is found driving under the influence of alcohol, she will be issued with a ticket.
“If Nekundi is found driving without a seat belt, he will be issued with a ticket.
“But, if John is found driving a truck without a mirror or with a broken windscreen, then a ticket will be issued in the name of the owner or operator of that truck,” he noted.
The minister stressed this came in effect on 9 June 2025 and that he had issued a directive to this effect to all traffic heads in all towns in Namibia as well as the Inspector General of the Namibian police Joseph Shikongo.
“I have written to all traffic heads in all towns and the head of the Namibian police. From Monday 9 June 2025, no driver will be issued with a ticket when a car they are driving has problems, if that particular vehicle is not registered in their name,” the minister further noted adding anyone who will be treated unfairly in this regard should feel free to contact the head of the nearest police station, Shikongo or even the minister himself.
In the photo: Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi.
