Weight control measures to be enacted for vehicles traversing along Hinterland roads

DPI, GUYANA, Friday, July 7, 2017

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure is moving to put systems in place to regulate the weights of the vehicles that traverse the roads in the Hinterland.

Conditions of the roads in the hinterland, despite on-going rehabilitation and upgrade works, remains unsatisfactory. One reason cited is the excessive wear caused by overloaded vehicles.

Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson told the National Assembly today that the ministry has already begun taking steps towards addressing this situation. He explained that in addition to procuring three automatic scales, the Ministry has drafted a Bill, that, once impose will further regulate the weight of the vehicles traversing these roads. The Bill is at the Attorney General (AG) Chamber, Minister Patterson said.

The Minister made these disclosures after he was questioned by Opposition, Member of Parliament (MP) Juan Edghill as to measures that the Ministry is taking to address the plight of the truckers and other passengers, traversing the several, present impassable hinterland roads.

Minister Patterson in responding explained that Budget 2017 sets aside a total of $2.3B to bring redress to Hinterland roads, in recognition of the importance of making these vital road links accessible. The Minister explained that to date 83 percent of the funds allocated in Budget 2017, have been committed in contracts, and disbursed.

He explained that whilst the ministry continued to invest in the upgrade and rehabilitation of these critical road links, a major challenge to their redress, remains the issue of overweight trucks. “They have been wreaking havoc on the road,” the minister said. He explained that for this year alone, three bridges along the Linden-Lethem route were broken due to this occurrence, adding that between May and June, the Ministry would have had to spend some $25M correcting damages caused by these vehicles.

The imposition of the weight control measures will bring a solution to these problems, the Minister said. He said that already the Ministry has gotten the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and Guyana Gold and Diamond Miner Association (GGDMA) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to adhere to the weight control measures that the ministry is seeking to put in place.

 

By: Macalia Santos