Region needs overload regulations 'with teeth'

Southern Africa’s road transport industry needs to join forces to create legal regulations ‘with teeth’ to address the issue of overloading. That’s the view of Mike Pinard, MD of InfraAfrica Consultants, who told delegates at last week’s Africa Road Transport Forum 2013 in Johannesburg that there was a critical need to cut down on road transport costs caused by overloading. The solution, he believes, is a regional overload control management system that includes data storage, analysis and sharing between weighbridge stations along with the assistance and buy-in of customs officials at border posts. Pinard urged the Tripartite Alliance – comprising SADC, EAC and Comesa – to facilitate inter-Regional Economic Community (REC) agreements on commonly adopted acts and regulations, including standardised load limits and overload control systems. He said increasing overloading was accelerating deterioration on the roads and other transport system infrastructure – such as bridges. “The rationale behind the recommendation for REC standardisation and regulation is that there is a fine balance between road building costs and the road transport economy and we need to stabilise that balance to ensure a win-win for all involved,” said Pinard. He added that the “old ways” of regulation had clearly not cut down on contravention – with there being no real “price” for overloading. “Fines need to be commensurate with overload damage to roads and bridges,” Pinard stressed, adding that regional overload control regulations should also over-ride national laws. INSERT Old ways of regulation have not cut down on contravention, with there being no real price for overloading.’