Overweight trucks wreaking havoc on hinterland roads

Overweight trucks wreaking havoc on hinterland roads – Patterson

Jul 08, 2017 News

– Authorities to start weighing ‘bush trucks’

Despite billions of dollars being spent annually to construct and rehabilitate roads and

The authorities are to soon begin weighing ‘bush trucks’.

bridges in the hinterland, these links are victims to accelerated deterioration due to overweight trucks.
This issue is one of concern for the administration, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson said yesterday during the 67th Sitting of the National Assembly in Georgetown.
The Minister was at the time responding to queries made by Opposition Parliamentarian Juan Edghill, on what the Ministry has in store to address the plight of truckers, commuters and residents who cannot traverse several specific “impassable” links in the hinterland.
The Minister informed that in most cases, works are scheduled to commence shortly, while some are still in the tendering phase.
“We went on to talk about the weight issue. We do have an issue and the issue is the question of overweight trucks. They have been wreaking havoc on the roads. To give you an example…There is a pontoon at Puruni and very recently a truck broke that pontoon.
The limit for these bush trucks…The limit for drums of diesel is 50. A truck with 130 drums of diesel went onto the pontoon and broke it,” Patterson told the house.
The Minister went on to say that in one month alone, three bridges on the Linden to Lethem road were broken by overweight trucks.
“So that remains a tremendous problem for us. Between May and June, three bridges would have cost us $25 Million dollars in emergency works,” he said.
Patterson said that his ministry has a solution and it involves implementing a weighing mechanism.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson

“It is a global solution…We have procured three scales, automated scales. They are in the country and we are about to deploy (them) into the areas and we are going to be imposing weight control.”
Patterson said that the Bill is already in the Attorney General’s Chambers.
The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) have already signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, agreeing to adhere to the weight limit, he said.
“They have placed the question of deplorable roads and the breakage of our bridges squarely on the indiscriminate usage of our roads by truck drivers, primarily driving with disregard to what happens to residents when these roads are broken.
“So the scales are here…I will be coming with the (amendments) to the Road Act and then we will impose it. So we will have better management of the roads very shortly.
$2.3B was allocated to Hinterland roads in the 2017 National Budget. The Minister explained that to date, 83 percent of the funds allocated have been committed in contracts and disbursed.