Overloading Heavy Duty Trucks And Vehicles Deteriorating Roads In Ghana

The Deputy Chief Executive of Maintenance, Ghana Highway Authority,Alhaji Baba Kasim, has disclosed that overloaded trucks do not only cause early deterioration of road pavements but also contribute significantly to the occurrence of road accidents along the major corridors.

He added that it also cost the Authority over US$1.0 million per kilometer to rehabilitate. Alhaji. Kasim made this remark during a public education and sensitization workshop which held for heavy truck drivers and their owners in order to help them understand the implement of the New Axle Load Regulation under the Road Traffic regulations 2012 (LI 2180).

According to him, Ghana Highway Authority has been charged to provide a safe and reliable truck road network in the country.

This he said, in order to achieve this aim, the Authority would have to design and develop roads that will increase socio- economic development in the country as well as maintaining the existing ones. He noted that in 2005 Ghana's AxleLoad Control Policy was initiated to curtail overloading of heavy goods vehicles that ply the roads and causing rapid deterioration.

Adding that, the Axle Load Control strategy seeks to reduce overloading on roads and also ensure that the road pavements serve their design lives and to improve safety on roads. He pointed out that, the Axle Load Regulations has caused a significant reduction in the overloading trend across the country since its implementation in February, 2013.

"The migration of the maximum gross vehicles weight limits from 68 tons to 60 tons and finally 51 tons is being implemented gradually to allow truckers time to adjust and renew their vehicles to the right configuration to enable them continue with their businesses" He said through public education and sensitization, the Authority is hoping to reduce overloading to its barest minimum in order to increase the lifespan of the roads in the country.

Axle Load Control Manager, Ghana Highway Authority, Ing. Mrs. Mercy A. Payne, cited the following as the major causes of overloading: Economic gain,Ignorance and Lack of deterring fines. According to her, the objective Authority is to reduce the congestion on roads due the snail pace moving overloaded trucks- reduce damage to road pavement and drainage structures due to overloaded axles and to improve road safety as about 12.5% of vehicles involved in road accidents are heavy goods vehicles.

This she said, the overloading fees or fines imposed on vehicles are negligible in comparison with damage caused to the roads.

According to her, rapid deterioration of the road leads to earlier and more frequent routine maintenance interventions. "Because of the limited funds available for the construction of new roads and also for road maintenance, it is essential that strict enforcement of the Axle Load Regulations is carried out the various weighing stations" she maintained.