12 Jul 2015

Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS) is still faced with a great challenge of congestion in Gaborone due to high demand of driving license, registration of second hand vehicles and application for public for public transport permits.

Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo said in Parliament that in order to augment the services already provided by the DRTS, the ministry had extended some of the services to Botswana Post which was renewable of road licenses.

He said the Gaborone DRTS provided services such as registration and licensing of vehicles, public transport permits, transport inspectorate, driver training and examination, vehicle examination and road safety education.

This followed a concern by Gaborone North MP, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa about the quality of road transport services in Gaborone, which he deemed poor.

Meanwhile, Mr Mabeo said the ministry through DRTS provided an array of services such as the establishment Children Traffic School which offered road safety education services to children aged 5 years and above.

The school, he said offers theory education and simulation driving practical within the school premises.

He said the ministry had also procured two trucks to provide mobile road safety education to children around the country.

The ministry, he noted had also established District Road Safety Committees in and around Gaborone which educate road users on safe road usage.

He said scholar patrols were conducted every three months on busiest roads in Gaborone such as KT Motsete and other routes within the city to help children cross roads.

As for Road Safety Audits, he said they were conducted in Gaborone to assess accidents locations around the city and recommendations sent to relevant department. Ends