Transport at the port of Mombasa was late last week crippled after the Mariakani weigh bridge became a no-go zone for trucks. The port is now relying on private Container Freight Stations (CFSs) as a breather for high volumes of imported cargo.For a week now, trucks are being impounded at Mariakani weigh bridge after the Government reverted to the controversial axle load weighing of vehicles instead of gross vehicle weight. Truck owners have since shunned the Mariakani weigh bridge to avoid huge fines for noncompliance with the axle load limits.“If a truck is weighed and stopped, it will attract a court fine ranging from ($235)Sh20,000 to ($4,705) Sh400,000. This is a substantial sum of money and a compelling reason to suspend deliveries over a punitive double-faced condition,” said Kenya Transporters Association Ltd (KTA) Chief Executive Officer Ms Jane Njeru late last week.However increased volumes of transit goods that do not go to the CFSs are causing worries even as truck own Njeru said KTA officials have since met Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Transport PS Cyrus Njiru over the controversial axle load rule and are expect to meet officials from the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNha) today to seek an amicable solution.KTA chairman Mr Paul Maiyo is among the association directors holding meetings with Government officials over the transport crisis. KeNha enforced the axle load rule from Thursday last week after winning a court battle against KTA which had opposed the move a year ago. “It is impossible for us to operate in this environment and we hope the ongoing discussions will come up with a solution,” Njeru said.Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) General Manager Operations Captain Twalib Khamis said domestic cargo has been taken to the CFSs to avoid congestion at the port. “Cargo has been moved to CFSs and we are able to handle more cargo. We hope that a lasting solution will be reached soon,” Captain Khamis said. The chairman of the Kenya Association of CFSs Mr Meshak Kipturgo said the more than 10 CFSs in Mombasa have saved the port from choking in the days truckers have stopped operations. “CFSs have a bigger cargo capacity than the port itself and this has saved the port from choking,” Kipturgo explained.He however said transit goods which usually await collection by owners from the port were piling up. Last Saturday, KTA stopped all the 50,000 trucks from loading cargo after Government started weighing the vehicles on the basis of axle load instead of gross vehicle weight.KTA said members would ground the trucks because it was impossible to comply with axle load weight as cargo usually shifts from one axle to the other when the vehicles are in motion owing to the road terrain.Agencies
