22 Sep 2013

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Nonofo Molefhi, says government will urge commuters to form strong consumer societies to deal with public transport operators so as to get value for their money.

Officially opening the Transport Pitso in Maun, Mr Molefhi said public operators should be held to certain standards in the industry. “Services offered by public transport operators need to be attractive to the people using them, not only to Batswana but to international travelers as well,” he said.

Mr Molefhi said the Transport Pitso was important to share experiences and ideas on how best to improve transport services. “We need to look at the way we do business because the growth of our economy is dependent on a reliable, efficient and affordable transport system,” he added.

He said the pitso also provided a platform for service providers, consumers and regulators to be on the same wave length and discuss challenges and suggestions that affected the transport industry. “Service providers have to shape and improve services they offer to meet user standards,” he said.

The minister said it was also important for participants to reflect and evaluate the laws that regulated the transport industry. “We need to ask ourselves whether the laws that we have now are still relevant to the circumstances that prevail today and remove any impending obstacles that deny service providers to be the best they can be,” he said.

Minister Molefhi also urged transport service providers to be professional when doing business. “Business people cannot afford to take shortcuts when dealing with clients because the client suffers unnecessarily,” he said. He also encouraged transport operators to form strong and robust societies so as to consolidate efforts and develop capacities within their sectors.

“Between now and the next pitso, please engage in discussions of where we want to be as a country,” he advised. About developments that his ministry intended to introduce to improve transport systems in Botswana, Mr Molefhi said they would change the way the tourism sector applied for licences because it was a unique industry that could not be regulated the same way as passenger operators.

“We will come up with innovative ways and a correct mechanism and do things differently from what we are currently doing,” he said. He indicated that he has asked the director of the Directorate of Public Service Management to encourage employees to use road warrants when travelling as he was looking to significantly reduce government’s fleet.

“But at the same time, I cannot put people’s lives at risk due to the unsavory state of some of our public transport,” he noted. “Buses are forever breaking down and the amount of time spent by consumers at the side of the road is costly to the economy and also personally.”

He also indicated that the ministry was looking to phase out registration of individuals as transport operators (buses, long haul truck operators) but rather as companies so as to allow Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) to collect tax. “This sector is very lucrative and some people are not paying tax and we are looking at correcting that,” he said. Mr Molefhi said standards regarding passenger operators and long haul trucks had to change and be uniform.

“Long distance buses will have to include toilets inside and the seat dimensions have to be set accordingly so as to safe guard the comfort and well-being of our customers,” he said. He also warned that his ministry would enforce the law regarding departure times of buses because most of them never left on time.

Mr Molefhi said, “some people have also extended sitting capacities within their buses and mini-buses. We will monitor behaviors of the operators and make decisions of whether to withdraw our licences or not issue one at all to such particular people. Operators have to adhere to the law and if not they will face the consequences.”

He further said the interests of service recipients have to be guarded and protected. “What we offer to consumers speaks volumes to other prospective customers, local and international,” he said. ENDS