By Lamin Njie, AIO MoTWI
The Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, together with stakeholders such as Afrique Pesage, Department of Lands and Surveys, Department of Physical Planning and Housing and the General Transport Union, recently conducted a two-day joint survey from across the length and breadth of the country, to identify and mark permanent and mobile sites to be used as weigh bridges for loaded trucks, which will be provided by the Government through the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the weigh bridges on Bund Road and Farafenni have started operations. Other possible places to have weigh bridges are Barra, Amdallai, Lamin–Koto, Basse, Brikama-Ba, Soma and Mandina –Ba.
In general, road infrastructures are designed for a finite time determined by forecast of heavyweight traffic and the intensity of their loads.
Overloads do have a devastating effect on the life of pavements, which explains the need to rehabilitate bituminised roads more frequently than expected, in the absence of enforcement pertaining to heavyweights.
Weighbridges are crucial as theyenhance efficiency. They are used to measure the weight of an incoming or outgoing vehicle (loaded or otherwise), in order to provide stocking data. It also guarantees assurance to drivers that the vehicles they are driving are fit to use to ensure the safety of the driver and other road users and most importantly, prevent overloading of trucks.
