04 Jul 2018

 The Ministry of Transport and Communications is aware of the unbearable traffic congestion in Gaborone particularly during peak hours.

In an answer to a parliamentary question on July 3, Minister Kitso Mokaila pointed out that to mitigate the situation, the ministry was currently implementing several projects, one of which was the Traffic Signals Improvement and establishment of Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) for greater Gaborone, under Design, Build, Operate, Maintain and Transfer (DBMOT).

He said the design was expected to be completed in September this year and construction and installation was expected to commence in November this year or soon thereafter.

Mr Mokaila also said the ministry was also moving to design and construct intersection improvements in greater Gaborone, the purpose of which would be to complement the traffic signal improvements.

He added that assisted Technical Bid Evaluation was submitted in May this year for clearance by the Word Bank, who would be financing the project.

He said financial proposals were expected to be opened in the course of this month.

The minister indicated in addition that the ministry would be moving ahead with the design and construction of three interchanges along the Western Bypass at the intersections with Lobatse Road (Game City circle), Kudumatse Drive (Rainbow circle) and Wellie Seboni Road (BTV circle), a project that he said was at evaluation stage.

He said financial proposals for the project were also expected to be opened this month after acceptance of clarifications by OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) who would be financing it.

Furthermore, the minister said following the completion of a study on Public Transport Modernisation in greater Gaborone, his ministry was currently drafting a Cabinet Memo to obtain cabinet approval of the recommended way forward.

He also stated that the ministry had already drafted regulations under the Road Traffic Control and that consultants were ongoing with relevant stakeholders before finalisation.

He said the regulations dealt with the control of the importation of pre-owned vehicles as well as the control of emissions.

MP Edwin Batshu of Nkange had asked if the minister was aware of traffic congestion in Gaborone.

He had wanted the minister to state plans to ease the situation going forward as well as whether the ministry would consider regulating the import of second hand vehicles which he said did not only increase traffic but also polluted the environment. ENDS