Implications of axle load limitation in Ethiopia (The case study on axle load management at Holeta and Modjo weighbridge stations)
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Date
2015-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Roads and bridges are the two moral fibers of any good mobilization to and from its destination and origin. These structures have their own designed life span for which they are forecasted to serve. It means, the structures should serve entirely for their intended life span without seeking major maintenance activities, but minor maintenance measures could be undertaken.
Road infrastructure represents a huge investment for any country. To protect these assets against misuse and damage, Ethiopia has promulgated road traffic act that stipulate permissible maximum axle and vehicle mass and dimensions. These limits are meant to ensure that roads last for their full design life with normal maintenance expenditures.
The primary purpose of this study was to assess the axle load management at selected two stations; Holeta and Modjo weigh bridge stations. The main specific objective of the study was to contribute better to the axle load control mechanism on the selected corridors.
Data was collected from the axle load checked vehicles at different times. The data at Holleta was collected in the months of June, August and September for successive of seven days each. Besides, the data collected at Modjo weigh bridge station was collected in the months of October, November and December for seven consecutive days. Data was also collected using interview with different stake holders of the sector.
In one week of June 2013 a total of 797 vehicles have been checked at Holeta and 527 of them were found overloaded, which accounts 66%. Furthermore, 45.3% vehicles were found overloaded at Modjo weighbridge station. The penalty rate in Ethiopia differs from court to court and upon persistent offence on the drivers. Hence it ranges from 4 birr and 50/100 cents per quintal to 20 birr depending on the persistence of the offence and the type of product overloaded.
The absence of standardized, documented procedures for carrying out weighbridge operations and moreover the absence of well organized and binding legislation on the regulations of axle load management has led to inconsistency in overload control activities. The current low
Implications of axle load limitation in Ethiopia (The case study on axle load management at
Holeta and Modjo weighbridge stations)
vi Biniam Tesfay January 2015
penalties for overloading should be reviewed so that they are more deterrent and capable of being more uniformly applied for similar offences.
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Road and Transport Engineering