Somlomo [Speaker], the decision by the Department of Public Works to clamp down on public transport operators who use unroadworthy vehicles is encouraging. We are particularly pleased by the department's decision to consider revoking roadworthy certificates of unroadworthy vehicles.
During the month of August alone in the country almost 100 lives were lost in fatal road accidents involving public transport. While the UDM commends the steps taken by the department to reduce the number of road fatalities caused by unroadworthy public transport vehicles, there seems to be a lack of consistency in dealing with this challenge.
Government's response to challenges is always reactionary; it awaits a sense of loss of life to occur before it reacts. It requires effort to sort out this problem. The department should not hesitate to impound unroadworthy vehicles and impose stiff fines on their owners.