For the 5th consecutive year, Namibia retained its position at the top of the list of having the best roads on the African continent and 23rd globally in terms of roads per capita, an executive revealed Tuesday.
“This is not by chance but through a combination of better planning, road designs, road maintenance strategy, asset management systems, and ring-fenced Road user charges (RUCs),” Road Fund Administration (RFA) chief executive officer Ali Ipinge made the remarks at the 2022 Annual Business Plan Stakeholders Consultative Workshop in Windhoek.
According to Ipinge, past year’s performance, RFA invested over 2.2 billion Namibia dollars (about 147 million U.S. dollars) in the management, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the country’s roads.
Ipinge said the RFA looks to increase funding with an ambitious target for the next 5-year cycle as well as the possible introduction of toll gates along 23 road sections in Namibia.
The introduction of the toll gates will enable the RFA to fund the maintenance of the roads. A toll booth/gate is where the driver must stop to pay before going any further on the national/state highway.
Meanwhile, during the next cycle, RUCs income is projected to grow by 32 percent from 2.35 billion to 3.1 billion Namibia dollars. Enditem
