Hefty fines for truck offenders

Mthonjaneni Protection Services removed this vehicle from the road after issuing fines to the value of R7 000. Cardboard boxes line the load bin

Cardboard boxes line the load bin and wire replace the chassis U-bolts of the truck

Bhekuyise Ngidi points to the missing tail lights of an unlicensed taxi with various faults stopped in a roadblock outside Empangeni

Larry Bentley

THE KZN Department of Transport is considering hefty fines for truck drivers who violate road regulations by overloading and using unsuitable roads in order to avoid tollgate fees.
A weigh-bridge is being constructed at the Gingindlovu/ Mtunzini/ eShowe intersection on the R66.
‘The Department is considering imposing heftier fines on over-loaders based on the distance travelled from origin to point of inception.
‘The fines will be proportionate to the estimated damage caused by the overloaded vehicle,’ Transport MEC, Bheki Cele said.
‘Fines will be imposed on the operator of the truck and not just the driver.’
The MEC said that over a three-month period (June, July and August) this year, 616 470 heavy motor vehicles were recorded travelling along the N3 between New England Road and Ashburton, near Pietermaritzburg, on both east and west carriageways.
The same problem is surfacing with heavy vehicles using the R102 between Mandeni and Mtunzini.
This road has also seen an increase in serious accidents, due to the damaged road surface being accelerated by the heavy vehicle usage.
‘A staggering 5 199 accidents involving heavy vehicles were recorded from March 2005 to March 2006 on KZN’s roads.
‘Many of these accidents resulted in fatalities,’ Cele said.
‘These accidents are costing the economy fortunes in terms of congestion and clean up operations.
‘A contributing factor was that many drivers were using alternate routes to by-pass toll plazas and to pocket toll fees.
‘These roads were not designed to carry such large vehicles and are therefore being destroyed. Many accidents occur on these roads and enforcement will be stepped up.’
Mr Cele said research had shown that overloaded heavy vehicles were responsible for approximately 60 per cent of the damage to the road network.
Repairs for this damage costs the country at least R750-million per annum.

Authorities clamping down
Authorities are increasing their checks on unroadworthy vehicles.
Mthonjaneni Protection Services recently impounded a truck used to carry spices from New Germany to Nongoma on a regular basis.
They released the vehicle to the owner after handing him a fine totalling R7 000 and he had arranged for a tow-truck to remove the vehicle.
Of the defects on the unlicensed vehicle was the rusted floor of the load bin, which had been lined with cardboard boxes.
Round wire was used to hold the load bin onto the chassis and the four chassis U-bolts were loose.
Problems with steering and the prop-shaft added to the charge sheet.
Vehicles are also being stopped on an on-going basis in the uMhlathuze municipal area and the driver of a taxi found without a licence and various other faults was also slammed with a heavy fine.