Placido Hilukilwa
WITH thousands of Namibians hitting the roads this festive season, a number of unruly bus and taxi operators are exploiting the situation by illegally increasing passenger transport fares, a practice condemned by Works and Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi.
Nekundi issued a statement urging members of the public affected by any unauthorised fare increases to report such cases to his office or to the Road Transportation Board Secretariat for investigation and further action.
He is also urging road carrier permit holders who have increased road passenger transport fares without following due process to cease the practice with immediate effect.
Nekundi noted that Namibia is established as a sovereign, secular, democratic and unitary state founded upon the principles of democracy, the rule of law and justice for all. “Accordingly,” he said, “I expect every Namibian citizen and service provider to comply with the rule of law that governs our nation, beginning with the Namibian Constitution and extending to all relevant legal instruments. The rule of law protects us from abuse of power through checks and balances, guarantees fundamental rights, and creates the framework for justice, accountability and national unity. Any deviation from, or non-compliance with, the established legal framework undermines these fundamental rights and compromises justice and fairness for all Namibians.”
According to him, only the Road Transportation Board is empowered by law to issue and regulate public passenger carrier permits and to manage all applications relating to taxi fare adjustments.
The illegal increase of mostly long-distance bus fares is a recurring matter, especially during the festive season and the Easter long weekend.
Minister Nekundi urges those affected to submit written complaints to his office or to the Road Transportation Board, providing the alleged culprit’s name and address, the vehicle registration number and the payment receipt.
Photos: Gondwana Collection / Roads Authority
