Namibia is working to regulate the operations of the e-hailing business.
Emma Theofelus, minister of information and communication technology, and Veikko Nekundi, minister of works and transport, convened an urgent meeting with Namibian e-hailing operators last week to discuss compliance with road transport legislation.
During the meeting, Theofelus emphasised that all decisions must promote Namibia's and its citizens’ interests, while Nekundi emphasised the need of legal compliance and encouraged drivers to get interim permits while waiting for approval.
E-hailing companies expressed concern about delays in the permit application process, claiming they harm drivers who rely on the sector for revenue, and called for a revision of the system and the elimination of obsolete road transport rules.
The meeting agreed that the platforms must ensure full compliance of their operators or drivers within 28 days, with a further 28 days for the two ministries to check adherence.
The two Ministers agreed to address legislative inadequacies by amending relevant laws and regulations.
In a statement, the ministers said: “It’s frustrating to see young leaders defending laws that were created long before innovations like e-hailing existed. Those regulations may have made sense in their time, but the world has evolved—and so should we.
”We are living in a fast-changing, technology-driven era where adaptability is key. Holding on to outdated laws risks slowing progress and limiting opportunities. Do we really want to be governed by frameworks that no longer reflect how society operates today?”
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