OTJINENE: The Road Fund Administration (RFA) and the Namibia Traffic Information System (NaTIS) held a stakeholder engagement with Otjinene residents on Tuesday to discuss how the services at the local NaTIS office can be improved.
Otjinene currently has one Namibia Traffic Information System office which offers vehicle registration services only. The engagement explored the possibility of adding services such as vehicle testing and the issuing of learner’s and driver’s licences.
Otjinene regional councillor Erwin Katjizeu commended the RFA and NaTIS for engaging the community and said it is an enlightening experience for many constituents.
‘I hope NaTIS will expand its services at Otjinene to include vehicle testing and the issuing of licences as currently, there is only one office in Gobabis serving the entire region with these services,’ Katjizeu said.
Otjinene is situated some 160 kilometres from Gobabis.
Samson Ajagbe, a representative of the RFA responsible for fuel levies and abnormal loads, meanwhile urged community members to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy and called on them to do their part to support the authority and its functions.
He explained that the RFA is responsible for collecting the road user charge, which includes fuel levies, abnormal loads, cross-border charges, and road permits.
‘Regarding vehicle licence fees, we engage extensively with communities and NaTIS as NaTIS serves as the point of collection for these fees. The funds collected by the Road Fund Administration are reinvested in roads and provided to local authorities for road maintenance. Therefore, we visit towns with Natis offices to assess operations and identify areas for improvement,’ he added.
Daniel Hange, the newly appointed NaTIS Gobabis section Leader, encouraged the public to visit their nearest NaTIS office for information on services provided by NaTIS and the Road Fund Administration.
‘Our communities lack adequate information, and I urge them to utilise Natis facilities. The Road Fund Administration has introduced an initiative allowing individuals to enter agreements and pay bills in instalments,’ Hange said.
Source:The Namibia Press Agency