TRUCK traffic on the Trans-Kalahari Highway has increased by close to 830 per cent over the past four years.

This has necessitated urgent interventions by traffic authorities in Namibia and neighbouring countries to ensure road safety on this and other highways.

So said Johnny Smith, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, in Windhoek yesterday.

Smith made the remarks at the announcement of a joint traffic law enforcement operation between Namibian and Botswana.

The initiative, which kicks off this Saturday and finishes on July 21, is aimed at ensuring compliance with the countries' road traffic legislation - with a particular emphasis on truck safety.

According to Deputy Commissioner Ralph Ludwig of the Namibian Police's traffic division, the campaign will focus on vehicle roadworthiness, overloading and drinking and driving.

Other aspects which will receive attention include driver fatigue, vehicle defects, the use of safety belts and the danger of animals on the roads.

According to Smith, truck traffic on this corridor has increased drastically over the past four years. Currently, between 170 and 200 trucks cross this corridor daily - an average of 185 trucks per day. About four years ago, Smith estimates that between ten and 30 trucks a day used the highway. This means an increase of 825 per cent.

Smith said the increased traffic was the result of Namibia "becoming a very strong transit country" for cross-border trade between SADC countries.

Asked about the impact of the increased traffic on Namibia's road infrastructure, he said it is expected that more traffic would mean more income and, therefore, more development.

This, he said, was because the country's relatively small population and economy did not contribute substantially to the road infrastructure development.

He said the Road Authority (RA), also a member of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, had "planned accordingly" to incorporate the impact on the road infrastructure.

A similar operation with Zambia was also on the cards, it was announced.