The East African Community (EAC) partner countries are yet to agree on 56 tonnes on seven standard axles so as to harmonize axle load control laws and regulations in the region.

The EAC stakeholders in the transport sector, experts and the development partners over the weekend met in Nairobi, Kenya to receive a summary of key findings and reach consensus on outstanding issues on axle load control laws and regulations.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, yesterday, Dr. Alexis Nzahabwanimana, State Minister in charge of Transport, said that coming up with harmonised decree on axle load control laws would ensure efficiencies in the transport sector.

"Agreeing on 56 tonnes on seven standard axles and the use of Inter-linked vehicles will lead to efficient logistics for transit transporters who used to suffer the costs of differentiated axle loading limits,” he said.

According to Robert Ssali, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of EAC Affairs, only Kenya was insisting on 48 tonnes, but was now settling on 52, but the other partner countries agree on 56 tonnes.

"EAC countries should promote as much as possible, the weight the vehicles carry to boost the volume of trade in the region,” he asserted.

Ssali added that agreeing on 56 tonnes as maximum load requirement for trucks, is a good starting point as the regional integration deepens.

Abdul Ndarubogoye, President of Rwanda Transporters Association, stressed that harmonising the axle control laws will boost the efficiency of trade in the region.

"As transporters we have been facing challenges of various laws regarding the weigh bridges to ensure that cargo is compliant with axle limit rules from the source,” he noted.

Ndarubogoye stated that agreeing on 56 tonne requirement among EAC partner countries is a vital component of the larger EAC trade and transport facilitation programme.

In a statement, Philip Wambugu, EAC Director for Infrastructure, said that the present situation of differentiated axle weight loading requirements, where some Partner States were imposing a 56-tonne requirement while others applying 48-tonne was counter to the spirit and objectives of regional integration.

"Without a single agreed limit, the benefits of regional integration being promoted under the EAC Common Market will remain elusive. Infrastructure services are an inherent ingredient in the integration agenda and we, therefore, need to be decisive on how we want to promote it, "he asserted.

Wambugu noted that if the region could ensure efficiencies in the transport sector, the community would be able, literally overnight, reduce the logistics cost of doing business and conducting trade by over 50 per cent, saying "this would be a big boost to the competitiveness of the East African Common Market.”

The process of trying to harmonize axle load control in the region started way back in 2001 and various technical studies had been carried over the period, to try and get the Partner States to agree on harmonized standards.

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