By Nigel Pfunde
LUPANE- Government has intensified its crackdown on overloading by haulage trucks, warning that the practice is undermining national road rehabilitation efforts and accelerating damage to key highways.
Permanent Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure Development Joy Makumbe said the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) has been fully capacitated to impose deterrent fines on offending truckers as part of measures to safeguard the country’s road network.
“We have capacitated VID enforcement agents to impose hefty fines and other deterrent measures on overloaded trucks to protect our roads,” Eng Makumbe said. “We have also opened tenders for citizens interested in constructing weighbridges to enhance monitoring.”
She urged truck operators and motorists to exercise responsibility and comply with load regulations and she made it clear that government will not hesitate to act against violators.
Eng Makumbe also commended the steady progress being registered by the eight contractors working on the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road. All contractors have so far made significant headway with Fossil Contracting reporting 51 percent completion of its allocated section in line with its project schedule.
The project is one of the Second Republic’s flagship infrastructure projects for the coming year and has been backed strongly by President Mnangagwa with both the Ministry of Transport and the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) acknowledging his guidance and support.
The project has also created employment opportunities, empowered women through various on-site initiatives and inspired increased corporate social responsibility efforts by participating contractors.
