Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) has accused a section of private companies of operating a syndicate aimed at extorting unsuspecting drivers operating heavy commercial vehicles.
In a statement issued on Saturday, August 5, the association revealed that some private groupings illegally overloaded trucks beyond the axle weight limits under the pretence of carrying construction materials.
According to KTA, trucks are issued permits while passing through the weighbridge - which the association suspects is a local arrangement between Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) officials and private groups.
"The explanation that allowing non-compliance somehow leads to compliance is not logical and does not make sense. The road axle load limits should apply equally to all road users," the statement released by Newton Wang'oo, KTA chairperson, read in part.
Wang'oo further alleged that private groups demand large sums of money from transporters to allow them to register with their associations and gain permission to overload their vehicles.
"We can only speculate that the officials allowing the overloading must be benefitting from the same. Our members are asking KTA to join those private groups and gain permission to overload since this gives overloaded trucks a competitive advantage," the chair emphasised.
"This will obviously cause additional damage to our roads and infrastructure," he added.
KeNHA, he alleged, declined to address the matter despite contacting the management for five months.
He thus appealed to President William Ruto and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to intervene in the matter and ensure all drivers adhere to the law.
"Anyone found overloading should be required to offload the excess load and pay fines," Wang'oo stated.
Axle Limits
The axle limits are divided into categories based on the axle group. For instance, a two-axle vehicle (cars or light trucks) should have a maximum weight of 18,000 kg, while a three-axle vehicle ( heavy trucks and semi-trailers) should not exceed 26,000 kg.
The East African Community Vehicle Load Control (Enforcement Measures), Regulations 2018 caps the maximum penalty for contravening the law to Ksh46 million, up from a minimum of Ksh33,168.
