The Traffic Services’ Road Haulage Unit has flagged a concerning increase in the number of trucks that take to the road with more than their fair share of cargo.
In one of the latest incidents on Saturday 12 January 2019, a truck was found to be overloaded by at least 25 000 kilograms.
An officer attached to the Road Haulage Unit stopped the container truck in Paarden Eiland after noticing that it appeared to be heavily overloaded. The driver was instructed to make his way to the N7 weighbridge for testing.
En route to the weighbride, two tyres burst but the officer insisted that the vehicle owner repair the tyres so they could proceed to the weighbridge.
When the truck was eventually weighed, it was found to be at least 25 tons over the permissible mass. The incident resulted in the issuing of 11 fines for various transgressions, totaling R42 000.
‘Our staff are reporting more of these incidents and so we’d like to remind companies to ensure that they are sticking to the prescribed regulations, not only because it is the law but also because overloaded vehicles are a danger to other road users.
‘We have seen numerous incidents in Cape Town over the years where heavy vehicles have overturned or become stuck, often with tragic consequences for the truck drivers or other road users who happen to be in the vicinity at the time. The city has also been left gridlocked on more than one occasion as a result of such incidents,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
In the last six and a half months, the Road Haulage Unit has stopped 5 509 heavy motor vehicles. Of these, 1 054 were weighed and 321 (30%) were found to be overloaded. Officers have issued fines for overloaded vehicles amounting to R1 064 650.
‘The City appeals to fleet managers and truck owners to ensure that they abide by legislative requirements and that their drivers are properly trained. The enforcement statistics, along with the number of trucks that continue to get stuck under the Muizenberg bridge, show that there are problems that need addressing now and not when tragedy strikes.
‘Our Road Haulage Unit will continue its enforcement efforts to try and ensure compliance within the trucking industry. In the event of future incidents like breakdowns or accidents, our Fire and Rescue Service has acquired a special vehicle to fast-track the removal of heavy vehicles where they are blocking our major routes, but ultimately the trucking industry needs to get on track too and stay in the right lane,’ added Alderman Smith.
Source: City Of Cape Town