A driver and the owner of a lorry were on Wednesday fined Ksh13.9 million for dodging a random inspection spot mounted in Mlolongo, Machakos County.
According to Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) officials, the lorry driver failed to use the Mlolongo Weighbridge during the operation.
He was, however, apprehended, and the vehicle impounded afterwards. It also emerged that the load exceeded the recommended limit.
While explaining the Ksh13.9 million fine, KeNHA officials noted that the lorry had damaged Mombasa Road.
“We are holding that vehicle within this yard and we are expecting the owner to pay Ksh13.9 million overload fee because the damage that vehicle had inflicted on the road infrastructure,” Michael Ngala, KeNHA’s Assistant Director of Axle Load, stated.
Ngala further revealed that KeNHA’s operation had impounded over 300 trucks for altering their axle load.
To further punish motorists flouting the axle load regulations, Ngala insisted that the road agency would auction the impounded trucks to recover the money and use to repair road assets.
“If they don’t pay, we may be forced to sale those trucks and recover for the damage they have caused to the road asset,” Ngala insisted.
The incident came just days after another truck driver was fined a similar amount for damaging road infrastructure.
KeNHA officers and the Axle Load Enforcement and Highways Unit police officers on Mombasa road stopped the truck carrying sand.
The truck was found to have exceeded the normal weight of between 54,000 kilograms and 78,740 kilograms, which attracted a Ksh13.9 million fine under the East Africa Community Vehicle Load Act, 2016.
“Our trunk roads have cost Kenyans Ksh3 trillion. We now must protect them. If you overload your truck be ready to pay Ksh45million as fine or keep off the Northern Corridor,” KeNHA stated while announcing the crackdown.
“KeNHA has spent considerable amount of money sensitising Kenyans on dangers of over loading. It is now time for enforcement,” the road agency insisted.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE