National Transport and Safety Authority to issue tough rules on use of trucks

A transport agency is set to publish regulations to govern how heavy commercial vehicles will be loaded and driven.

National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said it had noted rampant violation of public safety rules by truck drivers, especially their regard of other road users and on overloading.

"We have received numerous complaints regarding the risk these trucks subject other motorists to, especially leaving loads like sand uncovered, which ends up being blown by the wind, blurring the vision of other motorists, besides being a health risk," said NTSA Director-General Francis Meja.

Pose danger

Trucks loaded with stones, logs and sand pose danger to other road users.

For instance, it is a nightmare to trail a truck ferrying sand that is not covered with canvas as the wind keeps blowing the dust.

Other trucks, especially those belonging to construction firms, carry heaps of soil and boulders that fall while they are being driven uphill.

Meja acknowledged that there were no rules on safety for truck drivers, whose licensing is not under NTSA's mandate.

"What we have are the loading regulations under the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA)," he said.

Generally, KeNHA's deals with weighbridges, whose aim is to counter-check the loading capacity of trucks.

According to the regulations, a motorist faces a fine of up to Sh200,000 as a first-time offender for exceeding 10,000 kilogrammes or up to Sh400,000 for a subsequent offender.

For an overload that is less than 1,000kg, an offender will pay Sh5,000 or Sh10,000 for subsequent offenders.

Allowable tolerance

"Any vehicle that is overloaded on the axle and axle group and cannot redistribute its cargo to within allowable tolerance shall be charged," the rules state.

However, an allowance of five per cent has been granted on the legal axle and axle group weight limits to take care of possible movement of cargo while on transit.

This means if a truck's legal weight is 8,000kg, then its tolerance weight will be 400kg, bringing the total weight to 8,400kg.

Meja said in less than a week, the regulations will be published and submitted for public participation after which they will be adopted by the authority for enforcement.

"We have had no law to govern how such vehicles are driven on public roads. It is this loophole on the lack of laws that has given us no ground to hold them accountable," he explained.