AXLE LOAD CONTROL IN TANZANIA Regulations and Operations Prepared by TANROADS FOR UGANDA NATIONAL ROADS AUTHORITY DELEGATION 29TH MARCH 2011

Structure of Presentation The paper discuss 7 areas Introduction Effect of Overloading on road structures Rules and procedures in Tanzania Axle, GVM and Dimensional limits Achievements Challenges, and The Way forward and Conclusion

Introduction Tanzania has a road network of about 85,000 km with a replacement value of US$ 2.5 million. Good roads are important for social- economic development of any country. Funds to construct and maintain roads to good standards are very limited. And therefore preservation of this investment is inevitable.

Introduction Cont. It is estimated that, about 24% of heavy vehicles plying on Tanzanian roads network are overloaded. Overloading relative to legal load limits is known to be fairly widespread and is responsible for the significant acceleration in pavement deterioration The overloading has resulted into a very serious and costly maintenance problem. Recent records show that the over all percentage of overloaded vehicles in Tanzania is between 5 and 24%.

Funds to maintaine good roads are limited

Example of the overloaded vehicle on roads

Overloading effects Overloaded vehicles causes serious damage to all road structures (pavement and bridges), The problem may be even more serious in Tanzania as most of the country’s first generation roads are reaching the end of their design period. Overloaded vehicles also become a traffic hazard, especially failure of breaking system mechanism, bursting of tires, shifting of centre of gravity and additional breaking distances involved.

Effect of vehicles overloading on our roads

Results of GVM Overloading on our Bridges

Overloading phenomena Overloading = Transport efficiency = High profits (for haulers) = Lower commodity prices. HOWEVER Overloading = Road network destruction = higher road user costs (for all!!)= Economic down turn.

Overloading control efforts Although the history of attempts to control truck overloading worldwide (as well in Tanzania) started long ago, the undesirable situation still persists. Due to budgetary and other restrictions, law enforcement is operating in a sporadic rather than a systematic manner, and with insufficient power and success.

Governing Rules in Tanzania Axle load control is regulated under the road traffic Act No.30 of 1973, Regulation 2001. The Regulation clearly defines responsibilities of the Road Authority (Ministry of Works and TANROADS) in jointly (collaboration) with the Ministry of Home Affairs

Regulations in Tanzania The Regulations sets enforcement procedures to be followed and give guidance as regards to the limits of its applications, procedures for weighing, issuance of abnormal and awkward loads permits, imposition and payment of fees, and administration of appeals. The regulation set the maximum allowable single axle load limit of 10 tons and a maximum gross vehicle mass of 56 tons.

Regulations in Tanzania These regulations have been harmonized with the axle load control recommendations of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) These limits are of 10 tons for single axle with dual tires, 18 tons for a tandem axle group and 24 tons for triple axle group.

Weighing Requirements All vehicles with loading capacity of equal or more than 3.5 tons must be weighed. Weighing of a vehicle is by starting with first axle up to the last group of axle,the sum of axle weights is the total Gross Vehicle Mass(weight). A tolerance of 5% is provided in the Regulations All overloads beyond 5% of legal limit must be offloaded into another vehicle or re-arranged To proceed with 5% overload, the transporter shall pay a surcharge fee of 4 times its overload.

Weighing a first axle group of vehicle on the weighbridge

Weighing the Second axle group of the same vehicle on the weighbridge

Administrative Requirement The legislation introduced an administrative fee schedule to simplify the normal criminal court procedure. Provide a realistic compensation system for overload damage to roads and bridges. The legislation empowers a weighbridge operator to impose fees on the spot to owners of an overloaded vehicle without necessarily going to criminal court proceedings.

Axle Limits in Tanzania Types of Axle/Axle Group No. of Tires Max Load on Axle or Axle Group(tons) ESA Factor Single steering drive operated 2 8 6.60 Two steering drive operated 4 12 11.20 Single steering draw bar controlled 9 Single Non Steering 10 8.16 Double Non Steering

Axle Limits in Tanzania (cont..) Types of Axle/Axle Group No. of Tires Max Load on Axle or Axle Group ESA factor Double Non steering 6 15 13.20 8 18 15.00 Double steering (Dolly) 16 Triple Non Steering 10 21 18.40 12 24 22.90 Triple Super Single tire

Dimensional limits Maximum height of any vehicle = 4.6 meters. Maximum width of any vehicle = 2.6 meters. Overall length of rigid vehicles = 12.5 meters. Overall length of articulated vehicles = 17 meters. Any combination of vehicles = 22 meters. Note: Anything above these limits, must get a permit

Example of abnormal wide loads needing a permit

Weighing Facilities Weighing of vehicles is done using two types of scales. Fixed scales (25 nos.) and Portable scales (17 nos.) All scales are electronically operated and produces printout and store data.

Example of an electronic weighbridge scale

Achievements With this regulations in place, number of overloaded vehicles has declined from 40% in 1999 to less than 25% in 2011, Sensitization and create awareness of transporters and road users on axle load control has also substantially improved Reduced number of vehicles by passing weighbridge stations.

Achievements (cont..) Aged and low capacity of Mechanical weighbridges, were upgraded to electronic fixed weighbridges.

An information sign to a Driver to go through the weighbridge station.

Aged Mechanical scales which were replaced by electronical scales

Overload trends in Tanzania PERIOD (YEARS) No. of Vehicles weighed vehicles over loaded vehicle overloaded beyond 5% %over load %over load Beyond 5% vehicles within 5% overload 2000/01 357,413 63,845 11,356 17.86 3.18 52,489 2001/02 721,403 131,694 18,255 18.26 2.53 113,439 2002/03 878,242 84,945 19,461 9.67 2.22 65,484 2003/04 1,050,745 61,829 17,297 5.88 1.65 44,532 2004/05 1,170,443 84,675 21,308 7.23 1.82 63,367 2005/06 1,391,237 93,480 19,072 6.72 1.37 74,408 2006/07 1,637,888 154,731 25,421 9.45 1.55 129,310 2007/08 1,942,557 30,457 7.97 1.57 124,274 2008/09 2,171,872 484,049 37,079 22.29 1.71 446,970 2009/10 2,672,304 665,533 43,572 24.90 1.63 621,961

Challenges Inadequate budget for the operations, repair and maintenance of the weighbridges Inadequate budget to recruit and train more staff for operating weighbridge stations Inadequate number of fixed weighbridges at strategic locations, in particular along the central corridor, at ports border posts.

Challenges (cont..) Inadequate funds for procurement and construction of more weighbridge stations in accordance with the weighbridge master plan.

The way forward Harmonization of regulations within SADC, COMESA, and EAC member countries. Preparation of more guidelines on handling of abnormal load permits is in progress Soliciting funds from different sources internally and externally to complete implementation of the weighbridge master plan Establishment of bridge formula to be used for axle groups and gross weights for multi-abnormal load vehicles.

The way forward (cont..) Establishment of an Overload Management System for Tanzania Soliciting funds for improvement of existing infrastructure scales and install more modern scales Installation of Weigh in Motion equipment at busiest weighing sites.

OVERLOADING IS DANGEROUS

Conclusion Exercising Axle load control operations in roads agencies like TANROADS,UNRA and others is inevitable. Because controlling overloading will safe guard the investment of roads and this will make agency to utilize less budget on maintaining the roads. This will in turn improve the countries economy.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION