Urban mobility should be considered a national development priority among other basic services, as it has the potential to unlock and drive urban development and ensure people's well-being and safety.
These were the sentiments shared by speakers at the Urban Mobility Conference held in Windhoek on Thursday.
In a speech read on his behalf, Minister of Works and Transport Veikko Nekundi noted that urban transport has remained the lowest priority pillar of basic public services compared to electricity, water, and sanitation.
"In fact, it must be a poverty reduction tool, a job enabler, and a vessel of economic participation. If we are to build a Namibia that is inclusive, resilient, and competitive, urban mobility must remain a national development priority. Ladies and gentlemen, without sustainable urban mobility, education, healthcare, and jobs in urban centres remain out of reach for thousands."
Windhoek mayor Ndeshihafela Larandja said that transport is not just about movement, but it is about dignity, opportunity, and equality.
"Adequate investment in urban infrastructure is often overlooked despite being equally vital for inclusive urban development."
Urban and Rural Development Deputy Minister Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele noted that there is a greater need for mobility to be integrated into spatial planning frameworks, budgeting cycles, and national decentralisation goals.
"The problem is that urban mobility has never been easy, and talking about budgets, money is clearly also an issue that we must overcome. It is therefore important to recognise that this development takes time, and setbacks and errors are inevitable. However, by learning from the experiences, the emerging wave of implementing effective urban mobility, especially in our urban centres, can minimise such challenges and pave the way for sustainable and integrated transport systems."
The conference brought together transport stakeholders to discuss how they can transform Namibia's public transport system by identifying sustainable and actionable urban mobility solutions that can accelerate national development.