Transport Nightmares

This week’s uproar over speed humps on Windhoek’s Western byypass has exposed more than a traffic bottleneck – it has laid bare a deeper urban transport crisis that is punishing commuters, especially the poor.

The measure was introduced to protect pedestrians who cross the highway illegally, posing a danger to themselves and to motorists.

But placing speed humps on a highway is a poor answer to a serious safety problem. A safer and more sensible response would be a pedestrian bridge across this key route into the capital.

The real issue, however, goes beyond road safety. The bigger problem is an urban transport system that is becoming unaffordable for ordinary people.