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Weighbridges needed to protect Maputo Ring Road
8:19 CAT | 31 Jul 2018
Photo: Notícias
The Mozambican public company Maputo-Sul, which operates the Maputo Ring Road, has called for the installation of weighbridges close to sand pits to protect the road from overweight trucks.
The 74-kilometre long ring road opened just over two years ago, but it could prematurely break up should overweight trucks continue to drive along it. Construction projects in Maputo are driving demand for aggregates with vehicles being overloaded and driven uncovered.
Maputo-Sul argues that the bodies which license earth extraction companies should meet the cost of installing the weighbridges. Speaking to the daily newspaper “Noticias”, the executive manager of Maputo-Sul, Cecilio Grachane, noted that cargo control is less stringent for vehicles carrying sand and other building materials. He stressed that his concern is not only the weight of the trucks but also the tonnage per axle.
Grachane lamented, “we have seen trucks whose cargo volume exceeds the limit on the ring road”. He also pointed out that many of the trucks carrying building materials are uncovered. As a result, sand and small stones fall off the trucks and onto the road. This leads to additional friction, causing further damage to the road surface. The material can also damage other vehicles.
Grachane argued, “we carried out our duty to put the infrastructure in. Others must now play their role. They do not see that problems that this is causing. Therefore, we have an obligation to alert them”.
Quarry and sandpit operations also pose a threat to the environment and damage has been reported along the Umbeluzi valley.
Source: AIM
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