KeNHA: Abnormal cargo to attract huge fines

By JAMES WANZALA

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) will from mid this month effect new charges on oversized or abnormal cargo.

 The levy only applies to issuance of exemption permits. KeNHA Director-General Eng Meshack Kidenda said the move will bring order to the roads and reduce damage. He explained that the  legal notice of May 10 requires transporters of oversized and abnormal cargo to pay a levy.

 “KeNHA shall effect the charging for issuance of exemption permits from October 15, as detailed in Part 1(D) of the KENHA legal notice of May 10, 2013,” said Kidenda.

“Some firms sought permits but ended up using undesignated routes and interrupting the flow of traffic. This will bring sanity to the roads, act as a deterrent and protect the roads by reducing damage,” he said.

More charges

 Goods or items of up to 25,000kg of oversize cargo will attract a levy of  Sh5,000. Oversize cargo exceeding 25,000kg but less than 50,000kg will be charged Sh10,000 and oversized cargo exceeding 50,000kg will be charged Sh250,000.

He said dimension-based charges will see cargo exceeding 2.65m maximum of the overall vehicle width projection will be charged Sh5,000, while cargo exceeding 4.20m maximum overall vehicle height, laden or unladen, measured from the road surface, will be charged Sh10,000.

 Kidenda said cargo exceeding 12.50m maximum overall length of a rigid chassis goods or passenger vehicle shall be charged Sh15,000. That exceeding 17.40m maximum overall length of articulated vehicle including semi-trailer will be charged Sh20,000.  Those exceeding 22m maximum of the overall length of a combination of motor vehicle and draw-bar trailer or vehicle shall be charged Sh25,000.

Eng Kidenda said in the event that an application for exemption falls in both weight and dimension, one will apply, not both. Meanwhile, Nairobi County residents will soon benefit from an efficient bus transport service once a service plan for bus rapid transit (BRT) is rolled out.

KeNHA and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority are developing a service plan that will cover the entire city and its environs.  

KeNHA Corporate Affairs Manager Charles Njogu said the initiative, supported by the UN Habitat, is expected to ease traffic flow within the county.

“The service plan is the starting point for the design of a BRT system to achieve efficient operational characteristics,” he said.

“It will guide the overall routing of buses and feeder vehicles onto and off the BRT corridors to ensure an efficient transport service. Surveyors will be collecting data on public road transport  between September 30 and October 19,” he added.