A Public Road Carrier Permit is issued by the Road Transportation Board. Due to its special status in allowing the transportation of passengers for reward, a Public Road Carrier Permit (RCP) can only be applied for through NaTIS in Windhoek. You can find the NaTIS Tal Street WHK contact details here.
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No one in Namibia may transport people in any way for any kind of remuneration with an RCP. Luckily, once issued, the RCP does not expire. It can even be transferred from old to new vehicles.
However, because of the inherent risks associated with carrying passengers, applying for RCPs is a complex and delicate task. We at Auto Help have six years’ experience assisting our clients – mostly tour and safari operators – with obtaining all required documents to operate legally.
You can contact us now to find out more or read on to learn about the process.
Requirements for the Transportation of Tourists
To transport travellers, you must
- Be registered with the Namibian Tourism Board (NTB)
- Have your vehicle/s licensed with an operator card (from NaTIS)
- Have a Public Road Carrier Permit for the transportation of tourists (from the Road Transportation Board)
- Ensure that you have the proper Namibian drivers licence
How to Apply for Public Road Transport Permits
Tourism in Namibia is a regulated industry and as such has a number of requirements that need to be complied with. The oldest and possibly the most challenging is obtaining Public Road Carrier Permits.
As the Road Transportation Board was established to regulate public transport in Namibia, they have strict requirements that need to be met before they can approve a permit to transport passengers for reward.
To protect the people being transported, thorough paperwork and meticulous documentation has to be provided. Most importantly, sufficient motivation with a clear explanation of why the permits are needed and how having them will benefit the country at large, has to be submitted.
How Long Does it Take to Apply for Road Carrier Permits?
Currently, the waiting time for an application for Public Road Carrier Permits to be processed and approved or declined is 6 – 9 months.
This is because the Road Transportation Board themselves need to process and renew every application to approve or deny it. If approved, the permit is published in the government gazette. If there are no objections after three months, you will be notified through the Namibian post – which is not the fastest itself.
What Do You Need to Apply for a Public RCP?
To apply for Public Road Carrier Permits for the transportation of tourists you will need the following:
- Company registration (founding statements), your principal business being tourism
- A letter from the Namibian Tourism Board stating you are registered with them
- Certified ID copies of all members
- Motivational letter on the company letterhead, as to why you should be issued Public Road Carrier Permits
How To Get Temporary Road Carrier Permits
Unlike the indefinite RCPs discussed above, temporary permits are usually issued quite quickly. An application for indefinite RCPs needs to have been submitted before temporary permits can be requested.
However, the long waiting period for indefinite permits makes it quite feasible to apply for temporary permits in the meantime. Temporary permits are normally issued, then a tour operator has a vehicle that needs to be used for transporting tourists before the indefinite permits will have been approved.
If a temporary permit is granted, additional documents need to be submitted to the NTB in order to legally transport passengers while waiting for the indefinite permits.
What Do You Need to Apply for Temporary Permits?
If you have already submitted an application for Public Road Carrier Permits and need to start operating, you can apply for temporary public road carrier permits.
You will need the following:
- Copies of the Motor Vehicle Licence disk and operator cardÂ
- Copy or copies of the Certificate/s of registration in respect of the motor vehicle
- An itinerary for the tour you need the temporary permits for with proof of bookings
- Application for temporary road carrier permits
- Pending Application for Indefinite Public Road Carrier Permit
Just like the indefinite permits, temporary RCPs can only be applied for at NaTIS in Tal Street Windhoek.