N$4
namib times
WAG NUWE ARTWORK
SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6776 FRIDAY 10 AUGUST 2018 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
Parking system collapses Sharlien Tjambari
Swakopmund's new parking management system was suspended indefinitely. The suspension comes a mere eight days after its launch on 1 August this year. Namibia Parking Solutions was behind the project. The municipality of Swakopmund confirmed this earlier this week when namib times communicated some issues around the implementation of the management system to a municipal official. One of the questions raised by the newspaper is whether any Council by-law makes provision for the implementation and operation of such a system. To date no reply was received, other than news of the suspension of the system. Members of the public raised several concerns. Firstly the rates charged are too steep and many expect if you pay for parking there should be service. A wheelchair bound resident said there are too few parking spaces for the disabled in the cbd (where the management system is applicable) and since he pays for parking now he wants to see more parking spaces for the disabled spread over the cbd area that distances are shortened for people with limited abilities to move on
their own. The spokesperson of the Swakopmund Municipality, Aili Gebhardt officially confirmed the suspension of the parking management system. “Kindly note that the parking management system that commenced on 1 August in Swakopmund has been suspended until further notice. Council hereby apologises for the inconvenience caused to the public”, Gebhardt is quoted. According to Gebhardt, the system did not work out well. Gehbardt was willing to say that the management system was implemented prematurely, before all processes were properly in place. Although the coming of the Parking Management System was already announced at the beginning of July, many residents only learnt of the finer details when they parked their vehicles in the cbd area on 1 August. Some motorists received fines for not paying, adding to the negative perceptions. It was also understood the car guards who were absorbed into the management system as
full-time employees are not happy and said promises were broken. On the other hand, the management system’s main aim is to reduce the time period motorists park in the cbdarea as it creates a low turnover of vehicles which is not conducive for the local businesses who needs a turnover of customers. Many parking bays are occupied by people working in the cbd, meaning that particular parking bay is not feeding shoppersing opportunities to the businesses in the area.
Stefan Ludik spends night in dog kennel Fundraiser for Walvis Bay SPCA collects more than N$100 000 Namibian grown celebrity, Stefan Ludik, spent a night in the dog box in Walvis Bay. Don’t worry - it was for all the right reasons! Read all about this on page 7 of today’s edition. Pictured here: Stefan Ludik on the picture with Walvis Bay Mayor Alder-man Immanuel Wilfried.
Number system for Walvis Bay taxi’s Floris Steenkamp Taxi operators in Walvis Bay will soon be compelled to have numbers on their vehicles, for the purposes of traffic control and to assist the different law enforcement agencies with crime prevention. A source in the municipality of Walvis Bay disclosed this week a system for applications for the numbers is almost ready to go live. This source however, was only willing to say that each taxi will be required to carry this unique number in the form of a sticker – one on both front doors and one on the roof. “Each taxi will have a unique number. An application form will be completed by the owner of the
taxi and the information will be captured on a database. The information would be traceable by law enforce-ment by means of this unique number”, it was explained. The source added the numbers will be a prescribed size in order to assist with the visibility thereof both by day and by night and the number must be on the roof to assist law enforcement by surveillance cameras.
inside
“We have the wind and sun”
Page 3
Angler’s Kiosk’s success
Page 5
Locker vom Hocker
Pages 12 & 13
Corporate Bowls League Page 23