The Road Development Agency (RDA) has lamented the overloading of motor vehicles on the Zambian roads.
RDA Acting Director Communications and Corporate Affairs Anthony Mulowa said vehicle overloading has become rampant and a major contributor to road damage as well as maintenance costs.
During a stakeholder meeting for Axle Load Control in Ndola on Tuesday, Mr. Mulowa said the objective of Axle Load Control is to preserve the design life span of public roads by regulating the maximum weight of vehicles above 6.5 tons.
He said road infrastructure represents huge investments in Zambia hence the need to protect the road network against misuse and accelerated damage.
“Overloading of motor vehicles is rampant and a major contributory factor to road damage and increased maintenance costs. The Axle Load Management Regime preserves the asset, increases design life of roads, reduces maintenance cost, and enhances safety by restricting overloaded vehicles,” Mr. Mulowa said.
RDA is responsible for the care and maintenance of the entire classified road network of 67,671 kilometers of roads although the agency has concentrated its efforts on a rationalized network of 40,454 kilometers deemed as the core road network.
And Copperbelt Province Permanent secretary Augustine Kasongo who was represented by his deputy Daniel Kamenga observed that overload of trucks causes premature deterioration of the road network as well as road safety deathtraps.
Mr. Kasongo said with overloading there are no equal market opportunities as those that do not overload are disadvantaged as they do not compete fairly with those that thrive on overloading.
Well do something about it !!
I WONDER WHY RDA IS LAMENTING ON VEHICLE OVER LOADS ON OUR ROADS YET THEY ARE THE ENFORCERS? HAVE THEY GONE TO SLEEP AND WANT TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE WORKING OR NEEDS TO BE PUSHED TO START WORKING. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH OUR AGENCIES CHARGED WITH HUGE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ENSURING THAT LAWS ARE RESPECTED AND THOSE WHO BREAK THEM ARE PUNISHED ACCORDINGLY. WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF EXECUSES FROM RDA AND THE LIKES. USE YOUR MANDATE THAN CRYING TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO EXPECT YOU TO DELIVERY QUALITY SERVICES ON YOUR MANDATE.
Actually they must take a step further and ban loading people in trucks and open vans. Only vehicles with seats must be allowed to carry or ferry human beings. In this era companies in the business of ferrying employs to their work destinations must be compelled to ferry employees in safe and acceptable standards. You cannot be carrying humans like they are some sort of goods.
I am embarrassed being an African. How do I explain such uncivilised behaviour to my colleagues and friends here in the first world? Imagine what patson daka goes through
RDA has no maintenance working plan. that is why roads dont last long.
Rampant overloading costly to roads?…, I would say costly to human life, as you cannot replace a life, but can repair a road! And, exactly because no one is patrolling the roads, unscrupulous people are taking liberties. Shouldn’t RDA patrol the roads; and anyone caught overloaded charged? Am sure this is a more effective deterrent, than making prouncements which will likely only fall on deaf ears.
#plant a tree now please!
You have weighbridges all over so why don’t you make the most of them. Also there is,no proper maintenance of the roads.