The much disputed Kibaha Mailimoja weighbridge in Dar es Salaam will be closed later this week, the government has announced.
To serve in its capacity, the government has resolved to set up a
mobile weighbridge at Vigwaza village in Mlandizi, Cost Region.
Making the announcement yesterday in Dar es Salaam, the Tanzania
National Roads Agency (Tanroads) Chief Executive Officer Eng Patrick
Mfugalle said the weigh-in motion’ state of the art facilities will
serve to screen and control overloading of transit and local vehicles.
He said set up of the Vigwaza mobile weighbridge, estimated to cost
in excess of 11bn/-, will commence as of tomorrow (March 18) and is
part of ongoing government initiative to put up a total of eight modern
mobile weighbridges along the southern and central corridors.
“The weighbridge at Vigwaza will also serve as a pilot project (for
the other mobile weighbridges) and will be officially launched later
this month,” he explained.
Detailing on how the mobile weighbridges will improve vehicle
weighing and screening he reassured stakeholders that even though the
number of weigh-in points will be increased, the process will be much
faster than before.
“Vehicles will be required to pass through the weighbridges at a
speed of 50Km/h,” he said noting that at least 30 metres minimum
distance will be enforced between one vehicle and the next.
He was keen to note that both weighing and screening of vehicles will take between from 30 seconds to 2minutes top.
“The vehicles will be required to have a co-pilot responsible for
taking in documentation into the offices in person for verification
while the vehicle goes through the weighing and screening…it will be
simultaneous,” he explained.
According to Eng Mfugalle, since the entire process is computerised
and automatically monitored by the central system in Dar es Salaam,
then the level of efficiency is expected to be high.
However, he conceded that installation of the needed software is
still pending to date and he also fell short of specifying expected
installation date.
Notably, the government has spent at least 367m/- to compensate
villagers to pave way for the construction of the facility at Vigwaza.
“We plan to install a total of three mobile weighbridges along the
central corridor,” he said “…and five more bridges along the southern
one,” he added pointing out that the ‘weigh-in points’ will also
stimulate growth of businesses and establishment of satellite towns
along both the southern and central corridors.
The three facilities expected to reduce non-tariff barriers between
Dar es Salaam and Rusomo along the central corridor will be at Vigwaza,
Manyoni and Nyakanazi.
Eng Mfugalle said the government has allocated 8bn/- to upgrade five other bridges at Dakawa, Mikese and Nara.
He also said there are plans to set up at least two (part of the 5)
other weighbridges but declined from revealing their planned locations.
Nonetheless, he readily offered the expected set up schedule period as
this financial year 2014/15.
He said the weighbridges will help protect the country’s roads
because overloading of cargo vehicles accounts for over 25 per cent of
all road damages and as such, ‘the facilities will help check law
breakers and unscrupulous transporters plying along the southern and
central corridor highways’ he said.
“This is also in line with efforts to reduce non-tariff barriers
along the central corridor for transit cargo from 15 to 3,” he went on
to explain.
Finally, he cautioned transporters to abide by the Traffic Roads
Act, 1973 and 2003 warning that any breach of law will attract severe
penalties.
The 1973 cap. No 30 legislation places the highest maximum road
cargo weight at 56 tonnes and charges each additional tonnage USD100
(about 185,200/-).
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