Namibia through the Roads Authority (RA) is hosting the Transport Registers and Information Platform System (TRIPS) and Corridor Trip Monitoring System (CTMS), which connects national transport information systems and facilitates the transporting of essential goods.

The Ministry of Works and Transport’s Director of Transport Policy and Regulation, Cedric Limbo officially launched TRIPS and CTMS on behalf of Minister John Mutorwa here on Tuesday.

TRIPS and CTMS are being implemented by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) through the Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme, funded by the European Union to the tune of approximately N.dollars 352 million. The pilot implementation of CTMS is co-funded by the EU and the German government.

“The ministry is playing a central role in ensuring the success of the programme. Namibia’s decision to host TRIPS and CTMS is Namibia’s commitment toward socio-economic development in Africa,” Mutorwa said in a statement read on his behalf.

He called for commitment and participation from all stakeholders, such as the public and private sectors as well as the international development partners, in achieving the programme and project goals.

At the same event, Chair of the Tripartite Task Force Chileshe Kapwepwe, in a speech read on his behalf said with the hosting and full implementation of TRIPS, member states will have the benefit of sharing information on the movement of persons and vehicles along the tripartite corridors. Kapwepwe said this will give officials real time access to authenticate driver, passenger, vehicle and goods data from the country of registration/loading.

Paratus is providing their Armada Data Centre as the local service provider to the RA, with Paratus Group Chief Executive Officer Schalk Erasmus saying the key purpose of the project is to “develop and implement harmonised road transport policies, laws and regulations for effective and efficient road transport, transit networks, transport and logistic services, systems and procedures.”

TRIPS is an ICT gateway that inter-connects national transport information systems in order to improve information-sharing and authentication of transit documents, licences, permits and vehicle and driver particulars amongst the 25 participating member states’ regulatory and law enforcement agents within the tripartite region. The CTMS facilitates the transit of essential goods that include food, fuel and medicines across borders in the region.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency