By Mathias Haufiku
WINDHOEK – The DTA has aligned itself with taxi drivers by opposing the high traffic fines, saying the high fines have a negative impact on their lives.
The DTA further called on central government to improve and expand the country’s road network as well as consider the needs of taxi drivers during road planning.
Earlier this year the Namibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) submitted a petition to the National Assembly in which they opposed high traffic fines. The union was adamant the inadequate road infrastructure is one of the core causes of traffic rule violations.
The union also stressed that the inadequate provision of taxi ranks and zones made their operations difficult because they are forced to make use of undesignated areas to pick up and off-load commuters.
“Lawmakers should stop treating taxi drivers like foreigners in their own country. Taxi drivers carry out their duties on the roads, therefore they are the ones who suffer most as a result of the violations. We need to make a clear distinction between the needs of taxi drivers and other road users because most of them are suffering to manage their lives because of the high traffic fines,” stated the DTA secretary general Vincent Kanyetu.
He said the DTA fully supported requests of the taxi union, but it warned taxi drivers to stop using road conditions as an excuse to violate traffic laws.
He reminded taxi drivers they should not expect lawmakers to come up with traffic laws specially crafted for them, as they are no different to other road users.
Lawmakers must represent every Namibian and stop turning a blind eye to the requests of taxi drivers.
The secretary general further urged the union to refrain from making unwarranted strike threats, but should instead engage in a dialogue with lawmakers to find an amicable solution to a situation that could cripple the public transportation system on which thousands of vehicle-less Namibians depend to get to and from their workplaces on a daily basis.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs has recommended that the City of Windhoek and the Ministry of Works and Transport implement the Sustainable Urban Transport Plan.
Unionised taxi drivers staged several strikes since last year to express discontent over high traffic fines.