The transport crisis in the north hit its peak yesterday as school-going children return to school and travellers return to work after the festive season.
The fares have hit the roof as commuters hustle for spaces in public buses.
Hundreds of holiday goers are stranded at bus terminals at Oshakati and Ondangwa following an upsurge of passengers travelling from the northern regions to their respective town’s of work and school.
Also contributing to the crisis is the fact that many buses were already fully booked as pupils prepared to resume school for the first term.
Simon Nangolo, who drives an Iveco bus operating on the north and Windhoek route, says they were making money out of the crisis, charging passengers travelling from Oshakati to Windhoek N$450 each instead of the usual N$300.
“We are not sleeping. As soon as we drop the customers in Windhoek, we drive back to the north to pick up stranded customers that we left behind.
The crisis is biting but also, this is our opportunity to make money.
The increase in bus fares was necessary due to the fact that the bus drivers do not have time to rest. They are driving all the time to rescue the poor stranded customers,” he says.
Nangolo says most buses were fully booked because some of the travellers made reservations during the festive season and some paid in advance.
“Unfortunately, we are not lowering our bus fares.
Travellers had time to travel back early but many of them chose to do so at the last minute.
Travellers are a lot here and we are only going for those willing to pay the full amount. No negotiations,” he says.
One of the travellers, Shekupe Shipinge, who was in the company of her three children, told The Namibian she has been sleeping at Okatana service station at Oshakati for two days as all the buses travelling to Noordoewer are fully booked.
“I cannot go back home because it is very far. The only option I have is to sleep here for days and wait for those driving back to see if there’s space to board the bus.
have three children and I do not have enough money to pay for them because I still need to shop for their school essentials when I get there. Bus drivers are charging a lot for a single trip,” she says.
Another bus driver, Netumbo Johannes, says the journey between Ondangwa and Windhoek is long and tiresome, but they have been making good income since last week after they decided to seize the opportunity to make money out of the crisis.
Alma Shikesho (13), who is travelling to Walvis Bay for school says she has been stranded at Ondangwa for days, hoping to catch a bus and return to prepare for school.
“Buses travelling to Walvis Bay are charging us N$600. I was only given N$400 by my grandmother to travel back but it is not enough. I have been begging the bus drivers to have mercy on me but they refuse to accept half price. The bus fare increase is killing us,” she says.
She adds that she had been going from one bus driver to another seeking an opportunity to travel back to Walvis Bay and commence school.
The police in the Oshana region have urged public transport drivers to maintain the authorised driving speed on the road and to avoid overtaking at blind spots.
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