Information about the state of public transport in Cunene was transmitted by the provincial director of Transport, Traffic and Mobility, Geraldina Paredes, reporting that the province was "invaded by motorcycle taxi drivers".
According to the provincial government, almost three thousand motorcycle taxi drivers are licensed, operating in the six municipalities, which covers the lack of public transport in this region.
"The current situation (of public transport) is stable, we are not going to say that we are doing very well, because we are actually short of resources, which is why we are seeing that the entire province is invaded by motorcycle taxi drivers", said the person in charge.
According to Geraldina Paredes, the mass presence of motorbikes in taxi service in the province is a reflection of the insufficiency of public transport and even taxis (small private buses).
At least 600 vehicles make up the public transport fleet in this province, but more than 50 percent are obsolete, with no more than 250 vehicles in circulation.
"Today we only have over 250, most of them are in a dilapidated state. Our operators are unable to renew their fleets and the majority of urban taxi vehicles (...) are not in operational condition", she highlighted.
Speaking about the mobility situation in the province, Geraldina Paredes also mentioned that the decree that prohibits the import of used vehicles during a certain period also contributes to the scarcity of resources, calling for its repeal.
"The ban on the entry of vehicles of a certain age into the country is also contributing greatly to the shortage of taxis and operators are unable to renew their fleets", she pointed out.
For the director of Transport, Traffic and Mobility of Cunene, the approval of a car loan by the Ministry of Transport, aiming to support operators, and the repeal of the aforementioned decree, would help to reverse the lack of transport in the province.
