Five-year plan identifies way forward for Corridors

Trucking shuttle service between Windhoek and Gauteng on the cards KEVIN MAYHEW WITH THE management of the Trans Kalahari Express (formerly Corridor) now in the hands of private company Grindrod, the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) has identified its key areas of development for the next five years on all its corridors. Business development executive of the WBCG, Frank Gschwender, says that efficient management of the Trans Kalahari by Grindrod will attract business from Botswana and the industrial hub of Gauteng and it will now focus on developing the Trans Caprivi Corridor linking Walvis Bay with Lusaka in Zambia and Lubumbashi in DRC. However, it will also be involved in improving services along the Corridor routes. “Already we have a dedicated office and person in Lusaka to handle our drive to promote the corridor. This is producing identifiable positive results,” he said. He said that integration of the port, rail and road elements of Namibia’s intermodal network offered the fastest service between southern Africa and trans Atlantic markets in the Americas and Europe and cut transit times considerably – a key element for time- and reliability-sensitive cargo. The new Far East – Walvis Bay service by Maersk Line will add to the development. Satisfied that Namport – a key member of the WBCG - is on track to meet its targets and the needs of southern Africa, he said rail operator TransNamib was to introduce dedicated Trans Kalahari container trains. It is also to upgrade the existing inland container depot at Windhoek. The country’s road transport sector is to establish a trucking shuttle service between Gobabis in Windhoek and Gauteng which will be operated by Namibian, Botswanan and South African trucking companies. IT integration was also a prime focus of its five-year plan. This will enable all stakeholders to access the flows of information necessary to conduct international trade, he said.