Reforms ensure efficiency at weighbridges

What you need to know:

  • This road is the lifeline of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and northern Tanzania, hence the need to ensure free movement of trucks.
  • The technology is fully operational at the busy Mariakani and Mlolongo weighbridges that have in the past reported road snarl-ups that inconvenience other motorists.
  • To enable Kenha to oversee the operations of the 11 fixed weighbridge stations and six mobile units, a centralised management system is now being installed at the headquarters.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) has put in place reforms to enhance movement on the 8,800km Northern Corridor.

This road is the lifeline of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and northern Tanzania, hence the need to ensure free movement of trucks.

At the same time, Kenya has to enforce its own axle load limit laws. The reforms have drastically reduced travel time from Mombasa to Malaba.

The first step was to upgrade the network of weighbridges throughout Kenya by installing state-of-the-art machines to inculcate efficiency, enhance road safety, facilitate trade by decongesting weighbridge stations, and improve data generation and collection.

Secondly, Kenha has installed high-speed weighing in motion (HSWIM) systems, which remove human discretion from weighbridge operation. With sensors embedded in the road, HSWIM automatically detects trucks that weigh more than the legal limit, selecting them for static weighing.

As the HSWIM system can weigh moving trucks, the need to stop each and every vehicle has been drastically reduced. From the port of Mombasa through the Mariakani, Athi River, Gilgil, and Webuye weighbridges, truck drivers are no longer stopped unless they exceed legal weight limits.

The technology is fully operational at the busy Mariakani and Mlolongo weighbridges that have in the past reported road snarl-ups that inconvenience other motorists.

If a driver fails to pass through the screening lane, the system automatically sends an alert to a police officer stationed at the diversion to the static weighbridge, who directs the driver to pass through a static scale. Those found to have violated the legal weight are either asked to distribute the load or are taken to court.

Robust weighbridge software has also been employed, which does not allow for manual entry or manipulation of weight results. Initially, it was the police who decided which vehicle to weigh at the static scale, but with the automatic system, there is no chance for cheating and shortcuts.

Other innovative technology that has been installed includes automatic number plate recognition cameras, cameras that automatically record truck details at weighbridges, traffic control equipment and systems, census loops and loggers, and lighting and security systems.

To enable Kenha to oversee the operations of the 11 fixed weighbridge stations and six mobile units, a centralised management system is now being installed at the headquarters.

Static weighing has been improved by the installation of multi-deck scales that are accurate and offer faster axle and gross vehicle weight determination because they take care of all groups of axles at the same time.

A one-direction station layout controlled by automatic boom arms to ensure that trucks cannot exit the weighbridge station until they have complied became operational in December 2014 at the Mariakani weighbridge.

Kenha has encouraged sand trucks to commence self-regulation to ensure compliance. The authority has facilitated training on the effect of axle load on road carnage, destruction and vehicle lifespan.

The writer is manager of axle load at the Kenya National Highways Authority.