Political interference hampering enforcement of strict regulations on trucks says Transport Minister
POLITICAL connections are hindering government’s efforts to implement and enforce tighter regulations on overloaded trucks that use Zimbabwe’s main roads, Minister of Transport, Felix Mhona has said. Mhona was speaking in the National Assembly when legislators questioned him on measures being taken to address the issue of overloaded lorries plying the country’s routes. Mhona hinted […] The post Political interference hampering enforcement of strict regulations on trucks says Transport Minister appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
Black News 
POLITICAL connections are hindering government’s efforts to implement and enforce tighter regulations on overloaded trucks that use Zimbabwe’s main roads, Minister of Transport, Felix Mhona has said.
Mhona was speaking in the National Assembly when legislators questioned him on measures being taken to address the issue of overloaded lorries plying the country’s routes.
Mhona hinted on political interference when enforcement is taken on overloaded trucks.
“It is very true that our roads are mainly used by trucks that are overloaded. The challenge that we have is with Members of Parliament.
“When we prosecute those tracks, we receive many phone calls from Members of Parliament to release them. If we agree to that, I think we will have less phone calls,” said Mhona.
Overloaded trucks have been identified as contributing to the deterioration of road refurbishment work that the government has undetaken on some major highways.
Hauliers are reportedly taking advantage of lack of weighbridges and inadequate enforcement of regulations in the country to overload trucks when entering Zimbabwe.
Mhona said his ministry is working with the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) to construct weighbridges.
“This will help us preserve our roads so that they will not be overloaded with trucks. I agree with him that yes, when we looked at the issue of our weigh bridges, we have called for tenders so that together with ZINARA, we can construct weigh bridges.
“We are planning to erect them on strategic sites and we aim to increase the number of weighbridges that we have as a country. It is not a question of weighbridges but as business people, we should operate within the confines of the law,” said Mhona.
Zimbabwe connects several countries through its road networks and is used as a gateway by foreign trucks transporting goods.
The post Political interference hampering enforcement of strict regulations on trucks says Transport Minister appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
