KeNHA raises concern over overloading along northern corridor

The Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) has raised its concern over increased cases of overloading by trailers along the Northern Corridor.

While launching a crackdown against drivers involved, the authority warned that any driver found guilty faced a three-year jail term.

According to Danka Africa Kenya Limited, a company contracted to manage the Gilgil and Suswa weighbridges, trailers with six axles were the most affected.

The company assistant operations manager Jackson Kimuyu said that the problem lay with long-distance drivers ferrying goods to neighbouring countries.

Addressing the press at the Gilgil weighbridge, he noted that by lifting one axle, the drivers were carrying more load than allowed by the law.

He warned that those found breaking the law faced a fine of USD15,000 or a three-year jail term.

"We have seen several cases where drivers are tampering with the axles so that they can carry more load and we are crossing down on them," he said.

Kumuyu added that they had embarked on the process of engaging the transporters following rising cases of physical attacks targeting their drivers.

He noted that of the 90,000 trucks weighed at the Gilgil weighbridge, 500 of them were overloaded, leading to the arrests of drivers.

"This is a busy weighbridge mainly during the weekends and the perennial traffic snarl-up can be addressed by expanding the highway," he said.

A truck driver Joel Mwadimu blamed Kenyans' queer habits for the perennial jam adding that there were fears that the situation could get worse in the coming days.

Mwadime called on stringent laws to deal with overlapping drivers adding that many times the section of the road was completely blocked with four lanes on either side.

"This is always a small problem worsened by impatient drivers who are overlapping and this road should in future be expanded to address the high traffic," he said.