26 Aug 2021

In order to reduce costs and congestion on A1 Road between Gaborone and Francistown, public officers travelling between the two cities will now use a shuttle bus. 

 Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Thulagano Segokgo announced the pilot project on Botswana Television yesterday, August 26.

He said the service would reduce the number of government vehicles travelling between the two cities sometimes with just one officer on board.

On other issues, Mr Segokgo said his ministry would from next month start  Internet connectivity to villages with a target of connecting a total of 504 by 2023.

He said for this year, 300 villages would be connected through   the project covering schools, tribal offices, clinics and hospitals.

 Mr Segokgo said the Internet connectivity project would provide village dwellers with free Wi-Fi access whenever they visited the facilities.

  The bandwidth availed through the facilities would enable the community to surf a faster Internet, he said.

 Minister Segokgo said the country’s rates for fixed and mobile Internet were among the lowest in Africa adding that prices had been reduced by over 40 per cent in the past four years.

  The minister said Internet usage in Botswana had doubled over the past year.

 Permanent secretary Mr Jimmy Opelo said the ministry was working round the clock to roll out digitasation which would reduce physical contact and movement of people and ultimately curb the spread of COVID-19.

Department of Roads and Transport director, Mr Bokhutlo Modukanele, informed the audience about the introduction of a computerised driver testing system saying already 9 000 tests or about 1 000 per month had been conducted.

He said the system, which was currently being used in Gaborone, would soon be extended to Francistown. Ends