NABTA urges parliament to act as road accidents threaten public transport safety

Allexer Namundjembo

The Namibia Bus and Taxi Association (NABTA) has called for urgent government intervention to address rising road accidents involving public transport vehicles, warning that continued inaction could put more lives at risk.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Transport on Tuesday, NABTA secretary general Pendapala Nakathingo said public transport plays a critical role in Namibia’s daily movement of people, but the sector is facing serious safety challenges.

“Public transport moves over 70% of Namibians daily. Taxis and buses are the backbone of mobility. But with this responsibility comes risk,” NABTA stated in its presentation to Parliament.

The association said accidents involving taxis and buses threaten not only passengers and drivers but also public confidence in the transport sector.

“Every accident is a Namibian life lost, a mother, a student or a breadwinner,” NABTA told lawmakers, stressing the need to shift from responding to accidents after they occur to preventing them through stronger systems.