EAC passes law on vehicle load control

The East African Community (EAC) Vehicle Load Control Bill, 2012, has been passed in the EAC Parliament, according to radio station Capital FM in Nairobi. The bill will set up measures that will control the load capacities of trucks in addition to harmonising institutional arrangements for the regional trunk road network for the community. It sets the permissible maximum gross vehicle mass (GVM) at 56 metric tonnes and also sets a maximum of seven axles for vehicles. Chairman of the EAC Council of Ministers, Shem Bageine, said that the main objective of the bill is to achieve efficient and effective control of vehicle overloading in the region as a basis for reducing accelerated deterioration of road networks so as to reduce total transport costs.