First traffic control centre opens SOUTH AFRICA'S first state-of-the-art Grade A Traffic Control Centre has been opened near Mantsole, in the Northern Province, and represents a sizeable breakthrough in the fight against vehicle overloading, a growing phenomenon in the road freight industry. The new centre is capable of screening more than 500 000 trucks a year, compared to the approximately 60 000 trucks tested in the whole of South Africa during 1996. In his opening address at the launch, Transport Minister Mac Maharaj said the overloading of trucks was widespread and causing irreparable damage to roads. Proof of this, Maharaj said, was the fact that 35% of the national road network was classified as being in good condition in 1985. This figure had dropped to 9% in 1995. He added that on average, heavy vehicle traffic was overloaded by 15 to 20%, with some vehicles carrying more than double their legal load. This resulted in some R550 million in damage to the road network each year. Maharaj cautioned that if this trend were to continue, damage to roads would amount to 30% of the annual road budget by the end of 1997. The Mantsole Traffic Control centre will operate 24 hours a day, for 365 days a year. All vehicles carrying the capacity of 5 tonnes or more will use a dedicated lane with a Weight-in-Motion device and an over-height detector fitted to a computer. Legally loaded vehicles will continue their journey, while illegal ones will activate electronic lights and be weighed on a static scale, the results of which are legally enforceable. If overloading is confirmed, the truck will immediately be sent to a holding yard for prosecution. Unique measures have also been put in place to ensure speedy and effective prosecution without any risk of collusion by officials. Plans have been approved to build or upgrade some 125 traffic control centres countrywide over a three year period.
