Gokwe South legislator, Tawanda Karikoga, has called for stricter regulation on heavy trucks transporting mining materials and other goods.
In a parliamentary question and answer session, yesterday, Karikoga said the growing mining activity in Zimbabwe had increased the movement of trucks carrying ore, concentrates and other heavy materials, making it imperative for authorities to strengthen enforcement measures.
“This is an extremely important matter because heavy trucks are a menace on our roads, both in terms of the safety of other road users and in terms of damaging roads,” Karikoga said.
He said the impact of heavy vehicles on road infrastructure should be considered when designing and maintaining roads, as excessive traffic and overloaded trucks could significantly shorten the lifespan of roads.
“Roads are engineered with a lifespan, and that lifespan depends heavily on the traffic volumes and also the mass of the vehicles using the roads,” he said.
Karikoga said authorities should therefore ensure that heavy vehicles complied with prescribed weight limits, particularly as Zimbabwe’s mining sector continues to expand.
“With the mining ongoing in Zimbabwe, trucks carrying ore, concentrates and other heavy materials must be strictly regulated,” he said.
He called for punitive penalties against truck operators who overload their vehicles, arguing that existing measures should be strong enough to deter violations and protect the country’s road network.
“There must be a punitive penalty for overloading and for driving those trucks on city roads which are not designed for heavy trucks,” Karikoga said.
The legislator said the issue required coordinated action by relevant authorities to protect both motorists and public infrastructure from the consequences of improperly regulated heavy-vehicle traffic.
“Allowing overloaded trucks to operate unchecked could increase road maintenance costs while exposing other road users to avoidable risks,” he said.
Zimbabwe continues to expand mineral production and transportation, with the movement of mining commodities and other heavy materials, such as raw materials and manufactured products, requiring reliable rail infrastructure linking mines to processing facilities, industrial centres and markets, this would help ease pressure on the road infrastructure..
