WINDHOEK, July 11 — Namibia is working with like-minded international partners to prepare for a green urban mobility shift toward solar-powered bus stops, electric vehicle infrastructure, and low-emission corridors in urban hubs, a government official said Thursday.
Minister of Works and Transport Veikko Nekundi made the remarks at the Urban Mobility Conference held in the Namibian capital of Windhoek.
The conference brought together government leaders, private sector innovators, development partners, academics, and civil society to discuss transforming Namibia‘s public transport systems, with a focus on identifying sustainable and actionable urban mobility solutions to accelerate national development.
“Across Namibia, and particularly in Windhoek, urban transport has remained the least prioritized pillar of basic public services,” Nekundi said, emphasizing that for Namibia to progress into an inclusive, resilient, and competitive nation, urban mobility must become a national development priority.
“Without sustainable urban mobility, education, healthcare, and jobs in urban centers remain out of reach for thousands.
We must change that narrative,” he said, urging policymakers to pass national legislation that recognizes urban mobility as an economic enabler.
Meanwhile, at the same event, Namibian Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development Evelyn Nawases-Taeyele stressed that it is crucial that mobility be prioritized as a basic right and that transport and urban planning be integrated to drive economic growth and improve quality of life.
“As populations continue to grow, especially in our urban and rural areas, so does mobility, which is rapidly becoming one of the greatest challenges facing our local authorities,” she said. (Xinhua)
