14 Mar 2016

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has no plans to develop a bus rank in Ledumang, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Frans van der Westhuizen, has said.

However, when responding to a question in parliament from Gaborone North MP, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa, Mr van der Westhuizen said government had appointed a consultant to carry out a feasibility study for the implementation of a public transport system for the greater Gaborone.  

This study, he said, was being done under auspices of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. 

Objectives of the study, he said, was to assess the existing public transport operations and recommend appropriate facilities and or interventions that would support a more sustainable and efficient public transport system for the city region.  

The utilisation of this particular space in the manner that it was being used, as drop off or pick up point for combis, the assistant minister said, was not in anticipation of the establishment of a formal bus rank in the area, but rather an informal utilisation of a public space.  

“My ministry, through Gaborone City Council has not found it necessary to initiate any action as yet, because the usage of this space is not deemed to be self-allocation or squatting,” he said.

Mr van der Westhuizen said there were no plans to build public toilet facilities at this informal drop off point in view of the fact that such a decision would be informed by recommendations of the study.  

Mr Nkaigwa had asked Mr van der Westhuizen what plans were in place to construct a proper bus rank in Ledumang, what was being done with the current self-occupied bus rank and if there were no plans to provide toilet-facilities at the rank. Ends