Former Roads Authority (RA) chief executive Conrad Lutombi and engineers from the parastatal rejected a proposal to install speed humps along the B1 Western Bypass five years ago, citing non-compliance concerns.
According to sources familiar with the matter, road safety officials proposed the installation of speed humps along sections of the Western Bypass and near the Windhoek Country Club Resort in 2021, following concerns over pedestrian safety and road crashes.
Lutombi was not reachable for comment yesterday, but a source familiar with management decisions said engineers at the RA had indeed rejected the proposal, arguing that the road’s status required the uninterrupted flow of traffic.
This would be incompatible with highway standards, RA managers said at the time.
“It is a highway, managed in terms of the ordinance and the law, and it must allow the free flow of traffic,” the source said.
Lutombi, an engineer, led the RA for 15 years before stepping down in December. Hippy Tjivikua, who is currently on probation, replaced him.
The current RA board has temporary status for nine months. The Namibian understands some RA board members disagree with minister of works and transport Veikko Nekundi’s decision on highway speed humps, but have approved it.
“Our boss gave the instructions. What can we do? We just asked the team to make sure all road signs are visible,” a board member said this week.
Asked if the board had an opportunity to provide the Ministry of Works and Transport with input, the member said: “No such opportunity for us.”
SIDELINED
At issue is the manner in which Nekundi issued the directive to install speed humps along the Western Bypass.
The minister allegedly did not consult with the RA’s technical officials and sources say no risk assessment was done.
“Our views are not being valued. The minister runs the show because they want to advise us instead of us advising them. We were just told to do it, and who wants to say no to their bosses?” a source says.
Nekundi this week said: “I want you to ask your sources to inform you what they are claiming. Can they tell you which section of the law prohibits that?”
RA spokesperson Hileni Fillemon in a statement released on 4 June says Nekundi initiated the project and speed humps will be installed in other areas such as at Katutura Intermediate Hospital and the Lafrenz interchange in the capital.
“Similar measures will also be implemented on a section of the A1 road between Prosperita and Windhoek Country Club Resort,” she says.
Fillemon says this follows an increase in pedestrian-related crashes along these sections, some of which have resulted in fatalities.
“The speed humps form part of an immediate road safety measure to reduce vehicles’ speed, improve driver alertness, and enhance pedestrian safety in these high-risk areas,” she says.
GENESIS
Although the proposal to install speed humps on the highway was made years ago, various accidents along Namibia’s longest road in the Khomas region appear to have pushed the minister to implement the directive.
Four pedestrians were involved in an accident in March in which a vehicle hit them in the same area along the B1 Western Bypass, the namibian Broadcasting Corporation has reported.
This incident allegedly prompted Nekundi, along with representatives from the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund, the police, and other industry players to visit the areas, observe the flow of traffic, and address the concern.
During that consultation visit, Nekundi said he had directed his staff to look for a solution.
“One can see that the flow of vehicles are extremely heavy, and I have now given a directive which my staff will start this afternoon, and it will go every day until we find a permanent solution from an engineering perspective,” he said during the assessment.
The directive was allegedly to install speed humps.
Meanwhile, social activist Michael Amushelelo has filed an urgent application seeking the High Court to declare the latest speed hump installments unlawful and to, therefore, compel the government and the RA to remove them within 24 hours.
Amushelelo wants the matter to be heard today.
ACCIDENTS AFTER THE FACT
Sean Naude of the Namibian Marshall Rangers says five accidents have been recorded since the speed humps were installed.
Drivers travelling along the B1 Western Bypass in Windhoek have also experienced slower traffic, he says.
Current RA chief executive Tjivikua yesterday said: “The speed humps form part of an immediate road safety measure to reduce vehicle speeds, improve driver alertness and enhance pedestrian safety in these high-risk areas.”
To accommodate road works, he said one lane would be closed at a time while traffic is diverted to the remaining open lane.
Motorists can expect temporary disruptions and delays during the installation period.
Tjivikua said warning signs and other traffic management measures will be in put up to protect road users and construction workers.
“Road safety remains a shared responsibility, and the cooperation of all road users is essential to create safer roads for everyone,” he said.
