NABTA to overhaul public transport sector

The Namibian Bus and Taxi Association (NABTA) is developing a master plan on how to improve the country’s public transport sector, according to Magnus Nangombe, the association’s president.
NABTA is currently engaging the City of Windhoek and a consultant from Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to address problems that the sector is faced with and to rectify current structures to ensure its smooth operation.
The association will conduct consultations amongst relevant stakeholders and demographics. The consultations will also focus on the lack of infrastructure for public transport operators.
Nangombe said the master plan will be aligned with the relevant laws.
He added that the consultations are also aimed at enhancing synergy between the municipalities, government and the public transport operators in all 13 regions.
According to Nangombe, a time frame for the execution of the master plan has not yet been determined and that at present, it will be difficult to execute due  to the absence of proper public transport regulation.
Also included in the consultation procedure, is the long-awaited customer service workshop for taxi drivers. NABTA is planning to host an advanced customer service workshop for taxi drivers, once the idea is approved by the relevant authorities. The workshop will aim to impart customer service skills, improve customer service and yield more responsible and road worthy drivers.
Meanwhile, NABTA  plans to appoint representatives at all local authorities in Namibia.
“We want to have representatives at a regional level when we host stakeholders meetings. This way, we will also get information on how to improve as well as address the communication gap at local level,” Nangombe said.
The greatest challenge currently faced by the sector is inadequate taxi drop off zones and bus terminals, said Nangombe.
Economic experts forecast that the transport sector will be one of the main drivers of inflation during 2012, as a direct consequence of the resilience in global prices.