Stakeholders collaborate to advance Windhoek’s urban mobility agenda

Stakeholders collaborate to advance Windhoek’s urban mobility agenda

The City of Windhoek last week hosted a meeting with top officials to discuss the future of urban travel. Senior leaders from the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Khomas Regional Council, the Roads Authority, the Road Fund Administration, the Road Transportation Board, and other key stakeholders joined the Urban Mobility Working Session to advance the city’s transport agenda and contribute to Namibia’s Draft Public Passenger Transport Act. The engagement, which was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, Hans Hamakali, and Windhoek Deputy Mayor, Cllr Albertina Ametenya, was guided by two core principles: commitment and trust.

Delegates agreed that only proposals backed by clear institutional commitment would be formally submitted, ensuring accountability and ownership from the onset. “Workshops often generate valuable ideas, but without clear ownership, implementation can fall short,” said Pierre van Rensburg, Strategic Executive for Urban and Transport Planning at the City of Windhoek. “Our objective was to ensure that each proposal emerging from this session is supported by a responsible institution and a defined commitment,” he said.

Proposals related to funding include an annual fiscus allocation and the introduction of fuel levies to provide more predictable financial support for transport improvement. The session agreed to prioritise the approval of the draft Public Passenger Transport Act to establish arobust legislative framework and support effective governance and implementation of Namibia’s public transport system. Enhanced coordination among stakeholders aims to improve alignment and enable more integrated service delivery.

Globally, 45% of the world’s 8.2 billion people live in urban areas, with two-thirds of future population growth projected to occur in cities. Namibia reflects this trend, with approximately 500,000 people, nearly one in five citizens, residing in Windhoek. As such, mobility decisions in the capital have significant implications for economic activity and access to employment, education, healthcare, and public services.

The commitments developed during the session are expected to contribute to the next phase of work on Windhoek’s mobility agenda and the refinement of Namibia’s Draft Public Passenger Transport Act.