TABLE 1 STATUS OF NATIONAL ROADS: ODENDAAL PLAN
| Proposed Road Network: 1963 Status
of the Existing Roads: 1979 -------------------------------------------------------------- 1.
Kuruman-Gochas-Mariental Main road up to Mariental and then Windhoek arterial |
| Before independence the planning of road and
bridge priorities was done on a five year basis as established by the Department of
Transport and approved by the past colonial administration. The determination of
priorities of projects in planning, design and construction was not supported by an
overall planning according to the socio-economic needs of all the inhabitants of Namibia.
It was rather done on a more ad-hoc random basis than on the basis of an effective forward
planning with all relevant planning factors. Besides all the inequalities in the development of roads, the considerable funds which have been invested into the construction of the existing road network before independence were generally not used to improve the socio-economic conditions of the majority of Namibians. A typical example was the higher priority given to main road 68 between Outjo and Okaukuejo in Etosha which serves mainly "white" tourist's interests (completed 1984/85) in disfavour of main road 65 from Outjo to Khorixas which serves mainly "black" interests, completed only mid 1991. Main road 65 has a much higher traffic load than the road to the Etosha game reserve. The creation of labour possibilities and the training of technical and professional experts were dictated by the interests of the different colonial administrations. This planning environment changes now after the creation of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication of independent Namibia. |
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