ONGWEDIVA – Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) member of parliament Johannes Martin is pleading with the roads’ custodian, the Roads Authority (RA), to ease the process of issuing public transport permits until such a time that the permits become easily accessible.
At present, Martin said, the process to acquire the public transport permits to ferry customers to and from their destinations is cumbersome.
“We must not subject Namibians to poverty because government has failed to make the transport permits available and easily obtainable,” said Martin.
He accused the authority of only issuing permits to their acquaintances, leaving the rest to rent from those with multiple permits, including those who do not own cars.
“Issuing of transport permits should not be a draining process that only grants permits to those closer to the authorities permission to own more permits at the expense of those who are unable to get them. People are forced to rent permits even from those who don’t have cars yet have access to permits,” said Martin.
Martin claimed that because of the system in place, long-distance taxi drivers who are operating without the said permits often find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Subsequently, taxi drivers and owners are forced to give up their businesses to avoid the unending confrontations with the police.
Martin stressed that no Namibian wants to violate the law.
“But when documents are not available or easily accessible, government creates an uncomfortable and uncontrollable situation which will not only threaten business people’s income but taxpayers’ money as well,” said Martin.
Martin said that the government should be cognisant that taxi drivers despite operating illegally, are fighting unemployment and are trying to make a living.
“They do not deserve to be treated as offenders when operating without the necessary documentation which is not available or scarce to obtain,” said Martin.
Equally, Martin said, Namibia can only grow economically and develop if all stakeholders including taxi drivers and owners are happy.
The lawmaker said he does not want to see the youth roaming streets abusing alcohol and substances as a result of poverty.
– nashipala@nepc.cm.na