400 vehicles impounded for flouting axle load limit
Road Safety and Environment Department under Ghana Highways Authority in the month of April 2018 alone impounded close to 400 hundred cargo tracks at the various weigh bridge stations in Ashanti region for flouting axle load limit regulations.
Weigh bridge stations at Akom during the said month alone impounded 246 tracks out of 4,883 tracks that were weighed; Asuoyeboah recording 99 out of 1374 cargo tracks weighed and Adansi Asokwa recording 66 impounded vehicles out of 987 that were weighed.
This is an increase over last year’s record. Drivers arrested over non compliance were made to pay a fine depending on the excess of total weights of their vehicle.
Disclosing the facts to PRESS RADIO, the Ashanti Regional Manager for Road Safety and Environment Mr. Moomin S. Nurideen underlined the rate of noncompliance of the axle load regulations among some drivers’ as worrying.
Most drivers and track owners he said are still naive of the axle load code hence their frequent arrest.
To help curb the menace, his outfit per his indication has planned to intensify public education on the need to control axle overloading in their attempt to attain an acceptable level of road transport efficiency, maintenance and management of road infrastructure in the region.
The department will engage heavy truck drivers’ unions in the region to touch on their conscience over the need for compliance and in the long run save them from been arrested.
Mr. Moomin S. Nurideen indicated that the level of adherence among drivers if enhanced through the public outreach program will lead to an improvement in the region’s road safety, reduce road maintenance cost, prolong the lifespan of roads and the lifespan of haulage vehicles.
He noted that axle overloading contributes to the destruction of most of the roads in Ghana and therefore called on drivers to adhere the weight limits.
Source: www.thepressradio.com / Enock Akonnor
