15 Dec 2014

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo says transport is one of the enablers of economic development and regional integration.

Speaking at the International Conference on Transportation in Africa, Mr Mabeo said regional integration took place when there was flow of goods and services between countries at a reduced cost.

However, Mr Mabeo said that would not happen without improved and effective transport system, adding that improved transport system should form part of every government’s top agenda.

He noted that it was time that all stakeholders in the transport system took the industry to greater heights through innovations that would make a difference in the region.

“I look forward to some possible solutions to the transport sector challenges which are facing Africa today. With the participation of different experts with various experience from different countries there is no challenge which cannot be solved,” he said.

Minister Mabeo said globalisation and the rapidly evolving technologies were driving profound changes in the role of transportation in Africa, and in order to develop a safe, reliable and sustainable transportation system for socio-economic development in Africa, the government needed to give serious considerations to innovative approaches.

In dealing with a broad set of issues facing transport sector in Africa, the issue of safety, accessibility and improved infrastructure should be tackled taking into consideration the environmental issues, he said.

Mr Mabeo said by so doing, all would reap the economic benefit of investing in the transport sector. Some of the benefits, he said included the fundamental need of the people to have access to employment, markets, goods and services such as education and the health care.

Furthermore, the minister said transport might be considered as a vital missing link in the efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) because without access to adequate transport infrastructure and services, the MDG’s would not be effectively met and achievements made would be difficult to sustain.

On road transport sector, he said that despite considerable investments put in the sector, problems of unmanageable and rough or periodically impassable roads were still common even though governments allocate funds for the provision of paved roads.  He also noted that maintenance was still lagging behind.

However, Mr Mabeo said as urbanisation increased, most cities and towns in Africa are faced with the problem of traffic congestion, which called for definition and deployment of coherent and effective urban mobility plans and public transport policies as Africa needs to modernise its public transport system.

In his welcome remarks, president of Botswana Institute of Engineers, Dr Oagile Kanyeto said the challenges that Botswana and other African countries were facing on delivering efficient and effective transportation to its citizens were many.

Dr Kanyeto noted that interactions, exchange of ideas and experiences as well as best practices among experts would assist in providing solutions to the challenges faced by the continent. ENDS