2014-03-27Mathias Haufiku WINDHOEK – Bearing in mind that the Government Garage’s fleet of 2 099 vehicles is continuously ageing and being depleted, plans are afoot to procure 1 430 new vehicles during the 2014/2015 financial year. The Minister of Works and Transport, Errki Nghimtina, made the announcement when motivating the budget of the Department of Transport in the National Assembly on Tuesday. Nghimtina outlined the importance of the programme. “The objective is to provide government with reliable and safe road transport services. The Government Garage is responsible for the management, maintenance and hiring of vehicles to offices, ministries and agencies,” he said. The plans to procure new vehicles are listed under the department’s programme for the provision of support services to vehicles, equipment and plant. The minister said N$487 million would be required to purchase the new vehicles. “The ministry further plans to upgrade all dilapidated government garages and infrastructure countrywide,” Nghimtina stressed. The works and transport ministry needs around N$1 billion to implement several road projects around the country over the next two financial years. Upgrading of approximately 38km of road from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund to a dual carriageway will be implemented in 2014/15, while the same will be done for an 84km stretch between Windhoek and Rehoboth. Another road planned to be converted to dual carriageway will be the 45km stretch from Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport. The 110km road between Omuthiya and Ongwediva will be rehabilitated during the upcoming financial year as well. Nghimtina requested N$768 million for the construction of new railway lines, and the maintenance, upgrading and rehabilitation of the existing core railway line. “This is to ensure the railway line infrastructure is able to handle increasing volumes of cargo,” he said. Nghimtina said the biggest challenge facing government is to rehabilitate, maintain and upgrade the aged core national railway network. “Outdated locomotives and equipment supporting the provision of railway services also need to be replaced,” said the works and transport minister. By Mathias Haufiku 2014-03-27Mathias Haufiku
