STOP CALLING ME WHENEVER YOU HAVE BEEN DETAINED AT ANY WEIGHBRIDGE FOR OVERLOADING YOUR HEAVY GOODS VEHICLE…
I don’t have powers as Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development to waive or reduce the surcharge the RDA imposes on those who are in the habit of overloading their motor vehicles beyond the permissible weight.
So, stop calling me, just pay the surcharge.
Charles Milupi – Minister of Infrastructure
Infact there should be ware houses at each weigh bridge because payment doesn’t protect the roads..does it? What is idea is to detain the truck until another truck is made available to carry the extra load.. period or off load into the ware houses at the weigh bridges. In this way out roads will be protected.
If this trend of payment continue even the new LUSAKA -NDOLA dual carriage way won’t last its age SINCE this is the most abused road in terms of overloaded trucks.
The response from the Minister in relation to not having power to interfere with RDA operations of Weidghbridges is noted. However, matters of efficiency should concern him. I have in mind the chaos occurring at Kapiri Mposhi resulting from Weighbridge operations.
I concur with the observation by Eagle. While the Minister doesnt have powers to interfere with the operations of weighbridges by the RDA, the Minister should indeed be concerned about the efficiency of the weighbridge operations. The weighbridge just before the Kafue river bridge also causes delays as heavy loaded trucks block the movement of vehicles to and from. With a few minor adjustments such chaos could be reduced. The minister of transport should encourage efficient and sustainable use of roads for people and goods.
Talking about weighbridges, Hon Milupi just a reminder
I pleaded with you on the need to train local engineers during construction of the Lusaka Ndola dual carriageway
I suggested that your ministry seconds or attaches Zambian engineers and other relevant professionals to the project for the sole purpose of technology transfer
Henceforth we must be constructing our own roads using this local expertise as long as they are supplied with machinery
Please, inform the nation if this request has been met and if so how many Zambian professionals are on internship understudying the foreign experts
I submit
Senior Citizen
Good suggestion ba FCB. Phoenix had wonderful road construction technology, very efficient and very good quality. The Ndola-Kitwe dial carriageway they constructed during the early part of Mr. Chiluba’s MMD reign lasted over 25 years.
Somehow, our engineers missed out on that great technology. It seems we are more concerned with a paycheck than acquiring knowledge.