Martin Endjala
Eliphas !Owos-Oab, the National Road Safety Council Chairman, has urged road safety agencies to work in harmony despite their local authority affiliation.
“Arguments such as ‘No I am from the Walvis, Rehoboth or Windhoek Local Authority and do not report to you’ for example must become a thing of the past. We need to create cohesion and stop misunderstanding one another and fighting amongst each other,” he said.
!Owos-Oab said this during the conclusion of the 8th Annual Conference of Road Safety that was held under the theme ‘Creating a conducive environment for Synergy, accountability, performance management and activity ownership’.
He was of the opinion that misunderstanding often leads to local authority road safety agencies operating in silos, which then hinders the main goal, which is to achieve road safety excellence and it also stagnates the envisaged implementations. He said that the road safety management bill which is in the process of being finalized will see implementations and funding being aligned with the national road safety strategy which will be submitted to the UN conference in 2025 to demonstrate whether Namibia has led road safety agencies and how they are being implemented.
“The idea of this strategy is not to take away funds from the road safety agencies which consist of the Road Authority, Roade Fund Administration, Motor Vehicle Accident Fund and the National Road Safety Council, but to allow this agency to craft their own structures in alignment with the national road safety strategy,” he said.
!Owos-Oab said that cooperation will strengthen the pillars of road safety agencies in the country in ensuring that funds allocated to them are optimally utilised to sustain and maintain the status quo of the state’s roads while preserving the lives of road users. He stressed that the national strategy on road safety must be used as a blueprint for road safety in the country, and road agencies should ensure whatever structures they come up with, is in accordance with the strategy.
!Owos-Oab indicated that certain sections of the road management bill are currently undergoing repeal to avoid overlaps and duplications, with section 109 said to be one of the key targeted sections to be amended and to be clearly defined.
He noted with concern the lack of research data conducted on road safety in the country, adding that progress made is not fully attested due to unrealistic data, it is, therefore, his stance, that both private and public universities need to take on this task to do research which speaks to the reality on the ground of the country.
While calling for private and public relationship formalization, as that of agreements signed between different Ministries in the Government.
