By Tione Andsen

Balaka, June 27, Mana: Department of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) has warned truck owners and operators in the country not to over load their vehicles when transporting goods and services.

DRSS Chief Road Traffic Officer, Larry Chewere sounded the warning Thursday at Balaka Weighbridge during Media Tour on projects being implemented by Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP) under Ministry of Transport and Public Works with funding from World Bank as part of the Nacala Corridor development.

He said most roads are being damaged because of overloading by operators hence they are being subjected to fines.

Chewere dismissed assertions that weighbridges are over charging operators saying they are not meant for income generating but are used for safety measures.

“Weighbridges are not meant for income generating but providing guidance to operators to comply with loading limits for their vehicles. Our fines generally are not small one,” the Chief Road Officer admitted.

“Weighbridges are placed at specific areas in order to check movements of loads. We normally monitor movements of the loads in order to protect our roads from being damaged as a result of overloading by operators,” he viewed.  

He promised the Directorate would continue using weighbridges to ensure that right loads are being moved and the project would soon provide mobile weighbridges for spot checks.

Chewere added that they have been conducting workshops, awareness meetings with operators on the dangers of overloading their vehicles and its impact on the life span of the roads.

“Overloading will not only damage the roads but their vehicles are affected as a result of carry goods which are exceeding in weight capacity,” he explained.

The Chief said the fines are being calculated based on current market price and the Directorate usually uses NBS Bank rates for the day.

“If the Directorate will use weighbridges for revenue generation that means compliance is failing. Fines are on there for checks and balances to the operators not to exceed weight limits,” he clarified.

He said once operators adhere to carry recommended loads, they would help government to save funds for maintenance and they would save their vehicles from frequent maintenance.

“We are charge our fines in US$ because they cater for both local and international operators. We normally collect K 80 to 100 million per month. Last year, we collected over K 1.4 billion of the fines at Balaka Weighbridge,” Chewere added.

He disclosed that SATCP would provide funds for the constriction of weighbridge near Machinga Teachers’ Training College (TTC) in order to curb over loading of trucks passing through that road.

He believes that weight bridge at Liwonde would greatly help to curb overloading that operators using roads that have no weighbridges would be controlled

“we are expecting to have two more weighbridges in Nkhotakota and Mwanza inland in order to control follow of goods on the country’s roads,” headed.

Station Manager for Balaka Weighbridge, Richard Sochera said overloading vehicles cause damage to the environment because they produce a lot of fumes.

He said operators should view mobile and permanent weighbridges as a tool to protect the roads from being damaged as a results of carrying excess loads.