Transporters want load control bill expedited

Rwandan transporters are calling on the East African Community (EAC) partner states to enact the 2012 Vehicle Load Control Bill to herald a harmonised load limit.Speaking to The New Times yesterday, Abdul Ndarubogoye, the Vice Chairman of Rwandan Transporters’ Association, affirmed that once enacted, the bill would help address challenges normally faced by transporters and truck drivers.The Bill is at the peak of a year-long process during which the bloc discussed technical details on vehicle loading.“This is very crucial for us; we need this bill to be passed quickly so that we can harmonise our load limit. We find it very difficult to always operate on varying load limits in the region,” he asserted.Ndarubogoye, who is an exporter, stated that the bill would also address the problem of Non Tariff Barriers that transporters usually face along the way.EAC ministers and experts from various sectors yesterday began a four-day discussion on the crucial bill in Nairobi, Kenya, which, if enacted, would reduce incidences of overloading on the region’s road network.The bill also proposes that payments of overloading fees be done administratively through prepaid coupons or electronic transfers to discourage the payment of cash at the source. Payments through the court systems will also be eliminated. A Rwandan truck driver, Claude Nzabonimpa, said it was really vital to come up with fixed terms regarding the load control bill.“We appreciate the steps taken by the leaders and stakeholders to push the bill through. We look forward to having a harmonised load limit,” he noted.According to the officials from the Ministry of EAC Affairs, there was a need to protect roads by reaching a consensus on the load limit that will put a stop to the wearing out of the road network and instead lead to a smooth flow of trade in the region. The EAC Council of Ministers mandated the Secretariat to undertake a study on harmonisation of axle load control laws and regulations.The study recommended that the region adopts a harmonised load limit, decriminalises overloading and develops modern weighbridge stations.An agreement on a uniform gross vehicle mass of 56 tonnes on seven standard axels for the region was consequently reached in August 2011.Once agreed upon, the bill will be forwarded to the EAC’s policy making organ – the Council of Ministers, for consideration and ultimately to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) for debate and enactment into law.

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Transporters want load control bill expedited