Lately, under whatsoever policy, Vehicle Manufacturing/Assembly plants have inundated our automobile landscape – that is good news.
However my ‘peaceful’ worry and concern are; from my layman’s point of view, most products therefrom are not tailored to fit unto our roads landscape and architecture.
A typical example are the tipper trucks whose width exceeds that prescribed by law, that is 2.55 metres – (Regulation 50 (1) (a) of LI 2180). The height of their buckets being six feet high. The nauseating part is that, some have inched the bucket’s height further via an additional metal layer translating into additional weight – its implications on the health of the road infrastructure is pregnant. l sighted two of such tipper trucks that had tipped building materials for the completion of the Law House in Accra. The interval between the duo on the dual carriage road on the Court complex stretch was a hair’s breath, just imagine.
On the N1 Highway some time back, I sighted a five (5) axle tipper truck whose width and height of its bucket attracted my curiosity. When we were caught up in traffic, I took a closer look at the features of same. Wao, its tyre rim size was twenty four (24). Again, I am a layman but believe such rim sizes are definitely not in tune with our Highways code but for industrial enclaves, but here it was, traversing the N1 stretch at top speed as if nothing was at stake.
ARTICULATED TRUCKS
Again, on our road landscape are articulated trucks whose overall length exceeds sixty (60) feet or eighteen (18) metres prescribed by our laws (Regulation 50 (5) (b) of LI 2180).
These again, are manufactured/assembled in Ghana. In fact, some of the trailers standing alone are 60 feet plus. They load in terms of height over and above that stipulated by law which is 4.5 m and, in some instances, chisel the underneath of bridges to make way. A typical victim is the Achimota overhead bridge which has had some of its iron railing exposed.
I am not oblivious of erring trucks from our landlocked neighbours which have been left to go berserk for whatever reason(s). Who can blame them when our compliance and enforcement laws are let loose.
Not quite long, I sighted a Press release from the Ghana Police Service admonishing MTTD personnel never to poke their noses into whatever road infractions these foreign registered trucks may be involved in, yah, selective policing. Indeed, the circular assigned alleged harassment of these trucks as the reason.
BULK OIL TANKERS
Added are bulk tankers, again, manufactured/assembled in Ghana under this policy ferrying over 60,000 or more liters of petroleum products in a single haul traversing our road landscape. They look like wounded lions when sighted on our perilous road, and as if to tell other motorists and road users to “give way to traffic”.
NINE AXLES ON A SINGLE CHASSIS
As if there are no laws on and of roads, the present trend *is* the emergence in the fleet equation, single chassis trucks, some well over 60 feet with a maximum of nine (9) axles. My beef is, save the first two axles under or near the tractor head which ‘articulates’ when these objects are negotiating curves, the rest are fixed like the North Poles and impact adversely on the road surface when negotiating curves. Typical examples of its effect are the extent of destruction to the road infrastructure at Apenkwa in Accra, specifically the branch/junction that leads to N1 Highway to connect the Tema Motorway.and at the Achimota Police station intersection, all in the capital, Accra.
WHAT LI 2180 SAYS THEREON
Regulations 75 (2) of L.I. 2180 states, “A person shall not use a trailer on the road unless the trailer is registered and licensed separately by the Licensing Authority”.
The framers of the law foresaw the above menace thus inserted this provision to cure same. This has been thrown to the dogs by the very body (DVLA) charged to ensure compliance and enforce same for reasons best known *to* them.
It might interest readers to know and learn that DVLA in one of its press releases on the subject matter gave very porous and unconvincing defence for their action and inaction thereon – that these alterations or whatever, are carried out after they have registered/licenced same. My question is, since Road Use Certification is carried out every six months, does DVLA mean to suggest that these trucks are refabricated every six months? Not surprising that they have relegated their regulatory role and embraced the cash cow ideology wholeheartedly.
PRAGYA/ABOBOYAA MENACE
Another worrying trend is the emergence of Pragya. These motorised objects have killed and maimed thousands and continue in that spree – WHO CARES? They operate on our road networks as if they are on a different planet, yah, disregarding all known and unknown road laws including common sense.
Its sister, tricycles (Aboboyaa), are no better. Their driving mirrors are only symbolic and serve no useful purpose in the Road Safety equation. They are fixed on same for name sake as these mirrors do not project beyond the outside edge of their buckets making it virtually impossible for the rider to view the rear when the bucket is stuffed.
WEIRD BUSES ON THE SCENE
Nor is it all for the height of some buses recently introduced on our road network in relationship to their length and width calls for some introspection thereof.
Cases abound where some of the aforementioned buses have fallen on their sides like match boxes turned on their sides. There have been such incidents at Juaso, Konongo and that of the STC bus ferrying students to school in Cape Coast that fell on its side at the outskirts of Kasoa.
Interestingly, we have bodies such as the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), National Security and DVLA, among others, who ought to have nosed these infractions in their embryonic stage to avert same festering but have jointly and severally slept and continue to sleep on the job.
They need to wake up from their deep slumber and to subject these buses to some stability tests vis -a -vis what our roads can accommodate in the public interest. Per this piece, they are jointly put on effective notice.
HANGING AXLES OF CLINKER-FERRYING TRUCKS
The mother of all road sins are trucks ferrying clinker from the Ports of Tema and Takoradi and again, ferrying quarry dust/chipping, a vital ingredient of cement production from the quarry sites to their respective factories.
In both cases, after loading and checking in at the various weighing bridges for certification, they immediately hang the first two axles of the trailers. The net effect is, instead of the load therein being distributed evenly amongst all the axles, the remaining axles are compelled to shoulder the load. This action and inaction of these cement manufacturers who are mainly foreigners and shall not ever think doing the same in their home countries culminates in the destruction of our roads.
Very worrying spectacle as these hanging axles which are commonplace and have adverse effects on our road infrastructure are let loose with none caring a hoot.
Recall reading a Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) manual some years back which seems to suggest that our roads are not designed for any motorized object to negotiate a curve with a speed exceeding 80km/h among others.
In short, roads are built to specifications – it is not a free for all weight roads as is happening presently on our road networks with none caring a hoot.
It is very disheartening seeing the volumes of the tax payers monies pumped into such infrastructure only to be wasted away by the ineptitude of those charged to safeguard same – GHA, Department of Urban Roads (DUR), Department of Feeder Roads, NRSA, Driver, Vehicle & Licencing Authority (DVLA), and most importantly, National Security.
As things stand now, it seems no one is in charge. Indeed if the above are not addressed, we must equally forget investing in road infrastructure. Axiomatically, it is akin to fetching water with a cane basket, yah, we built only to destroy- who cares?
Written by Osei Kwabena Esq, Etia Street, Asante Effiduase
