The wheels of the bus (almost) go ’round
It may not be roadworthy yet and still needs some work, but the Namibian Correctional Services (NCS) now boasts a bus with which to transport staff.The bus, which seats about 60 passengers, was donated by the Windhoek municipality. The NCS initially asked for four buses, but due to a lack of resources, the City could only provide one.
Municipal buses were in the news earlier this year when it was reported that only about 20 of the 64 could be used, causing huge delays for the approximately 3 000 passengers who use them daily. The reason was largely due to a delay in supplying parts to repair the buses. Many of the much-needed parts come from South Africa, but also from elsewhere.
However, the donated bus will now be restored to its former glory by NCS at their workshop to help transport staff to facilities located in other towns including Mariental, Tsumeb, Rundu and Ondangwa.
According to the NCS, the safety of their staff is often compromised, especially when they work evenings or early morning shifts, and often have to walk to work.
The municipality and the NCS signed an agreement in July 2020 to help each other in various areas. The NCS assisted the municipality with the manufacture and installation of water tanks in the capital's informal settlements following the outbreak of Covid-19.
The municipality also approved the donation of a truck and a sedan to Maltahöhe's village council to carry out daily activities. The council plans to use the truck for the removal of solid and/or household waste. The sedan will be used to transport board members and staff to official events.
All these donations are subject to ministerial approval.