TRANSPORT Minister Joel Kaapanda inaugurated the new offices of the Namibia Traffic Information System (Natis) at Ongwediva in the Oshana Region on Friday.
The Ongwediva Natis centre will be run by the Ongwediva Town Council and will issue driver’s licences, roadworthy certificates and vehicle registrations in the North. These functions had been handled by the traffic department of the Namibian Police until now.Other Natis offices will be established at Luederitz and Oranjemund this year, and at Opuwo, Eenhana and Outapi next year.”We want to improve the roadworthiness of our vehicles and the driving skills of our drivers,” Kaapanda said at the ceremony on Friday.The Minister called upon traffic officers to concentrate more on traffic violations, now that they no longer have to deal with vehicle and driver licensing.He said the Ongwediva Natis offices would be equipped by closed-circuit television cameras to combat corruption in the issuing of transport documents.Kaapanda said his Ministry would soon begin working towards introducing a uniform colour for all urban taxis to help get rid of unregistered taxis.Speaking at the same occasion, Police Chief Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga called upon Natis employees to refrain from corrupt practices such as taking bribes for issuing licences.This not only constituted corruption, he said, but also endangered people’s lives by letting dangerous vehicles and drivers loose on Namibian roads.These functions had been handled by the traffic department of the Namibian Police until now.Other Natis offices will be established at Luederitz and Oranjemund this year, and at Opuwo, Eenhana and Outapi next year.”We want to improve the roadworthiness of our vehicles and the driving skills of our drivers,” Kaapanda said at the ceremony on Friday.The Minister called upon traffic officers to concentrate more on traffic violations, now that they no longer have to deal with vehicle and driver licensing.He said the Ongwediva Natis offices would be equipped by closed-circuit television cameras to combat corruption in the issuing of transport documents.Kaapanda said his Ministry would soon begin working towards introducing a uniform colour for all urban taxis to help get rid of unregistered taxis.Speaking at the same occasion, Police Chief Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga called upon Natis employees to refrain from corrupt practices such as taking bribes for issuing licences.This not only constituted corruption, he said, but also endangered people’s lives by letting dangerous vehicles and drivers loose on Namibian roads.
