Kenyan truck drivers have urged the government through KENHA to widen stakeholder engagements with truck owners to sensitize them on overloading.
Speaking to Uzalendo News, Nelson Gombe said part of the reasons why they commit the offense is to reduce track damage and maintenance costs, often deducted from their salaries.
“We acknowledge KENHA for its work to keep the roads maintained but please talk to our bosses because when the tires wear out, they come for our salaries, or fire us for poor truck maintenance.”
Mr. Gombe explained the sole reason for axle lifting was to elongate the lifespan of their tires and save on fuel costs.
“Up until now, we used to think we are saving by reducing the trucking costs, but now that we see we are damaging the roads, we know better.”
Trucks can lift one set of wheels thanks to a technology known as axle lifting. Many manufacturers automate the changeover and forbid its use on public roads. This is a result of the general harm axle-lifting does to the road tarmac.
At the beginning of the year, KENHA engineer raised an alarm over the rampant abuse of the axle-lifting system, after virtual weight sensors detected an upsurge in the vice. KENHA has since increased its surveillance throughout the Northern Corridor.
Truck drivers have been advised to uphold the Axle Load Control Act in order to protect Kenya’s $3 trillion road system.
The East Africa Axle Load Control Act 2016 lays out the regional regulations for axle loads that are intended to safeguard vital road infrastructure.
Transporters who violate these rules risk fines of up to Ksh. 45 million or a three-year prison term.
