08 Mar 2015

Government drivers have been cautioned to refrain from using government vehicles to run their personal errands. 

Speaking at a transport officers and drivers workshop in Hukuntsi last week, Hukuntsi Sub-district road safety committee chairperson, Mr Bigboy Mangwa, said it was worrisome that some government drivers used government vehicles to perform their personal duties.

Mr Mangwa stated that there was concern in the inspectorate division that government vehicles in Kgalagadi were used for unauthorised assignments. He said in most cases the misuse could be attributed to the fact that transport officers and supervisors connived with drivers to use government vehicles to carry out their personal activities. 

“It has come to our understanding that supervisors abuse their authority and work hand in hand with drivers when it comes to the misuse of government vehicles, and by so doing it becomes very difficult for them to discipline drivers when they misuse government vehicles,” he said.

Transport officers, he said, should ensure that each journey was authorised by an entry in the vehicle log book signed by a designated authorising officer, adding that drivers should enter full details in the log book under appropriate headings before commencing any journey.

He also urged drivers to guard against unauthorised passengers, highlighting that only authorised passengers were permitted to be passengers in a government vehicle. However, he said government officers on duty were authorised provided that their duty was directly connected with the use of the vehicle in which theywere traveling. 

He further raised concern at the high rate of road accidents involving government vehicles, adding that the government spent a lot of money replacing vehicles  involved in accidents.  He pleaded with drivers to be vigilant and careful when driving.

Meanwhile, an official from the Central Transport Organisation, Mr Hendricks Visage urged heads of departments and transport officers to ensure that government vehicles were used appropriately and strictly for official assignments. 

He stated that the efficient maintenance and economic operation of the government fleet was the responsibility of the officer entrusted with the supervision of transport, and that he must ensure that constant and close supervision was excised in order that a desirable degree of operational efficiency was maintained. ENDS