Museveni to decide on trucks load limit

Allegations. Reports indicate that the weigh bridge system is riddled with bribery.

Kampala.

The decision on how much weight a truck carrying Uganda-bound cargo should have will now be decided at the highest political level after regional member states road authorities failed to agree on how best to implement the per axle load limit.

Towards the end of last year, Uganda Revenue Authority struggled to collect international taxes accrued from among others Uganda-bound consignment after transporters in Kenya went on strike over a High Court decision to reinstate the “per axle load” limit.

The High Court decision meant that the roads authority - Kenya National Highway Authority, will resort to enforcement of ‘per axle load’ limit rather than the gross vehicle weight which the transporters are in favour of.
In a meeting early this week, the Trade minister, Amelia Kyambadde told manufactures and industrialists that she had failed to prevail on the matter and she would thus have to discuss the issue with President Museveni.

“I will have a meeting with the President to discuss the weigh bridge issue then will report to you the way forward.”
She added: “This matter now needs political will. The president will take it up and sort it out at that level.”

According to the minister, Rwanda has already lodged a formal complaint, citing Uganda as being slow in eradicating Non-tariff barriers (NTB), mentioning per axle load control among the bottlenecks.
Although the minister did not mention the specific loads, the Private Sector Foundation Uganda executive director, Mr Gideon Badagawa said on Wednesday that the private sector is in favour of Uganda-bound trucks ferrying cargos of not less than 56 tonnes at any one time.

“Currently, Kenya wants our trucks to do eight tonnes per axle. Altogether this means that our transporters will be forced to do two trips because anything above 35 tonnes will be penalised.”
Kenya has over time said that heavy trucks are damaging its roads.
Thus the penalties resulting from failure to observe the per axle load limit seek to safeguard longevity of roads.

iladu@ug.nationmedia.com