Women In Focus Smart Cities and Transport

Interview with Ms. Hilda Tangeni Nekulu Nathnael

Intoday'srapidlyurbanizingworld,thedemandforefficient, safe,andsustainabletransportationsystemshasneverbeen higher SmartTransportation arevolutionaryapproach that integrates new and emerging technologies, is transforming howwemovearoundcities.Thesetechnologiesworktogetherto streamline traffic management, enhance public transportation, and reduce environmental impact. Ms. Hilda Tangeni Nekulu Nathnael, is a leading figure in the field of sustainable and affordable transport, is at the forefront of these innovations. In this interview, we delve into the division of Smart Cities and Transportation, exploring the smart cities challenges, strategies, andsmarttransportationprojects/Initiatives.

Personal

Hilda Tangeni Nekulu Nathnael is an Engineer with a Master of Civil (Transportation).Since2018,shehasbeenworkingattheCity of Windhoek as a Coordinator in the Smart Cities and Transport division. Her responsibilities align directly with Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11), emphasizing Target 11.2AffordableandSustainableTransportSystems.Ms.Nathnaelwas an integral part of the planning committee for the first pilot projectforthe EBikes4Windhoek project,demonstratingtheusage of solar-powered electric bicycles (e-bikes) as sustainable and affordable means of transport. She was also selected to participateinthe MoveOn International Summer School,heldfrom October9thto15th,2022,atthe University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

1.What motivated you to pursue a career specifically in the areaofintergrationofsmartcitiesandtransportation?

Furthermore,Ms.Nathnaelwasamongthesixyoungprofessionals fromacrossAfricaselectedtoparticipateinthefirstcohortofthe Agora Fellowship Program from 19 February to 15 March 2024, where discussions around possible ways to transform the transportsectoracrosstheAfricancontinenthappened Recently, Ms Nathnael was selected to take part in the Africa SDGs Mentorship Programme to develop skills in becoming an SDG champion,advocate,andpromoterofsustainabledevelopmentin hercommunitiesandbeyond

Creating inclusive smart transportation initiatives involves considering the diverse and unique needs of all residents by knowing your residents.

“I was introduced to the concept of smart cities and transportation during my master’s degree at Stellenbosch University This is where I dwelled into the concept of Smart mobility, which refers to using modes of transportation instead of owning a gas-powered vehicle This can take on many different forms, including ride-sharing, carsharing, public transportation Then there is walking, biking (etc) which are referred to as non-motorized transport Windhoek the capital city is experiencing rapid urbanization and the resources available are not enough to cater for everyone As I settled in my position as the Coordinator for Smart Cities and Transport at the City of Windhoek, I then realized the need for safer mobility means for the residents who are unable to afford cars, then I shifted my focus on them. The question is How can I, improve the mobility needs in Windhoek?” Ms.Nathnaelresponded.

2.Inyourexperienceandopinion,whatdoyouconsidertobe the most pressing transportation challenges facing modern cities, and how can smart technologies address these challenges?

Smart mobility outlook has arisen from increasing traffic, fuel cost,pollution,andeventimewastage,Ms Nathnaelresponded “In Windhoek, for example we are facing a lack of resources and infrastructure for walking, biking, and public transportation use for the population that cannot afford to buy vehicles Once we have the infrastructure on the ground, we hope that we will see an increase in the usage of bicycles, improved safety of cyclists by reducing the number of fatalities and injuries and higher bicycle ownership ”

“Further to this, the city of Windhoek does not have enough municipal buses to cater for residents who need the service The service is also not running effectively and can be improved by investing in modernizing public transit systems with features like real-time arrival information, contactless payment systems, and dedicated lanes for buses and bikes. I want to add another challenge - irresponsible drivers. With technology we can spot them and fine them heavily. Technology allows us many opportunities.”

Ms.Nathnaeladded.

3.Kindlybriefourreadersonthesmarttransportationproject / initiative you've worked on and its impact on the transportationindustryatlarge.

Ms. Nathnael says, “My role is to advance the implementation of the Sustainable Urban Transport Master Plan (SUTMP) with the focus on non-motorized transport. Some of the projects (amongst others) that I have been involved in are such as:

Cycling and Road Safety Training Event - The City of Windhoek and other stakeholders offered road safety and cyclist beginners training to fifty (50) students.

#AfricanMobilityMonth 2021: Transforming mobility in African cities – a month-long campaign aimed to raise awareness of sustainable mobility, as well as to support and celebrate action and mobilise a collective effort to transform mobility in African cities

Open Streets Day event aims to impart a mindset change, encouraging vehicle owners to start seeing city streets as public spaces and consider alternative modes of transport Windhoek on Bike Event – This is scheduled every second (2nd) Saturday of a new month to teach aspiring cyclists of all ages to learn to cycle

Construction of the pilot bicycle lane - Currently, the first cycling infrastructure project in Windhoek measuring 4km

Ebikes4Windhoek Project – where forty (40) students received electric bikes for a period of four (4) months.”

4. What strategies do you employ to ensure that smart transportation initiatives are inclusive and considerate of diversecommunitieswithinacity?

“Creating inclusive smart transportation initiatives involves considering the diverse and unique needs of all residents by knowing your residents We get to know our residents through community engagements, and data collections through surveys

When we know the different groups of people we are working with, then we can tailor make our initiatives accordingly and develop a transportation network that offers different travel needs that we communicate in different languages to ensure accessibility” Ms Nathnaelsaid

5.Inconclusion,withtherapidpaceoftechnologicalchange, how do you balance the adoption of cutting-edge solutions with the need for reliability and scalability in smart transportationinfrastructure?

“Pilot projects always help to evaluate the effectiveness, reliability, and scalability of new solutions before widespread implementation. For example, we planned to fit our electric bikes with GPS trackers that will not only help us monitor where our bikes are, but also help us gather information on preferred routes used by cyclists But instead of fitting all the bicycles with the trackers, we first piloted the trackers on half of the fleet for testing This allowed us to identify potential challenges and vulnerabilities associated with new technologies

We apply this same strategy to our infrastructure implementation ” MsNathnaelconcluded