New taxi fare hikes deemed illegal – transport ministry

The Ministry of Works and Transport says any taxi fare increase without approval from the Road Transportation Board will be deemed illegal, after taxi union leader Werner Januarie said fares would increase by 10% on 15 March.

Ministry of Works and Transport deputy executive director Jonas Sheelongo on Thursday told The Namibian any taxi fare increment must first be approved by the Road Transportation Board and endorsed by the ministry before it is implemented. According to Sheelongo, the board is yet to discuss the proposed fare increase.

“Any fare increase without following the above procedures will be deemed illegal,” he said.

Januarie, who is the president of the Namibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU), yesterday wrote to the ministry and informed it there would be a 10% increase on current taxi fares. He used a recent petrol price increase as the basis of the NTTU’s argument for a fare hike.

The NTTU said the increase would be effective from 15 March.

“The current petrol increase effective 3 March 2021 far exceeds the price of taxi fare per seat and/or per occupant, hence this notice being issued to you,” he stated in the letter.

Januarie is in the meantime still suing the government and has given notice that he will be asking the High Court to make an award of N$224 million against the government and in his favour.

This follows after he early this year sued the government for N$74 million in connection with an incident that occurred in August last year, when he claims he was assaulted by police officers and members of the Namibian Defence Force.