To lower the chance of accidents and car damage, the Eenhana Town Council has started road repairs at the town.

Town spokesperson Ottilie Shingenge, in an interview with Nampa on Tuesday, said that the work is being done through the Department of Urban Development and Technical Services.

Shingenge indicated that the focus is on road works, maintenance and rehabilitation of potholes, uneven surfaces, as well as faded road markings which are likely to cause vehicles to lose control or suffer damages, that can lead to accidents.

According to Shingenge, every financial year Council makes a budget provision for road maintenance, which is fully subsidised by the Road Fund Administration.

‘The road maintenance work is done on an annual basis as we are aware that during the rainy season, roads are prone to damages, which normally results in uneven surfaces and potholes around town,’ she said.

She added that the council in this regard employs individuals or residents on a contract basis to perform the actual work
of road maintenance.

She stressed that the council did not contract a company to do road maintenance, but rather employed local people on a contract basis, of which the majority are from marginalised groups or backgrounds and they conduct this work under the supervision and with the technical department team, overseeing that the work done is up to standard.

Shingenge noted that well maintained roads are safer and reduce rates of accidents or vehicle damage.

Moreover, she stated that the economic impact is that poor road maintenance attracts fewer foreign investors, tourists and visitors alike, which results in limited development, and the town not growing as expected.

This will also mean there will be fewer economic activities because locals will find it difficult to transport their goods due to bad transmission networks.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency