Testing trucks

Regulations on heavy-duty vehicles to be enforced

Christopher Serju, Sunday Gleaner Writer

The Island Traffic Authority (ITA) is gearing up to address the ongoing failure of drivers to comply with local trucking laws, openly flouting the Road Traffic Act, as well as vehicle permits, very often putting themselves and other road users at risk in the process.

A facility along the Harbour View main road is being rehabilitated and retrofitted to facilitate the vehicle weight enforcement aspects of the Road Traffic Act, among others. Thereafter, the ITA, which is also in the process of outfitting a special enforcement team, will step up its drive to curb incidents of overloading by operators of heavy-duty vehicles.

Upon completion and equipping of the weigh station, using electronic gadgets members of the team will able to assess the weight of vehicles even while they are en route. Vehicle weight enforcement is the established process by which motor vehicles, especially trucks and trailers are screened, stopped, weighed and inspected in order to ensure compliance with weight laws.

Serious concerns

The ITA advised Automotives that among the breaches high on the list is the failure by operators of articulated trailers (commonly referred to as tractor trailers) to use only specified trailer routes as designated by law. While the officials declined to speak on the record, they willingly shared their concerns about the threat to road users and the deleterious impact of such activity on the country's roadways.

It charges that most of the offences are committed deliberately, since truckers are advised of the rules governing special permits when these are issued. A special permit is mandatory for a haulage contractor or truck operator whose vehicle exceeds the established weight limits of the Road Traffic Regulations. This document allows for the applicant to operate the vehicle above the set weight limits, but within those established standards set by the ITA.

The propensity to overload trucks with substandard tyres is further cause for concern, since this compromises the vehicle's ability to respond in the required manner under regular and especially during emergency situations. Braking and steering efficiency are affected, thereby increasing the risk of a crash, which is further compounded during adverse driving conditions such as heavy rains.

In addition to impacting the usable life of the vehicle, continued overloading also shortens the lifespan of roadways and structures such as bridges, and the ITA wants truckers to get up to speed with laws and regulations governing their trade. For instance, when a haulage contractor needs to transport heavy machinery or specialised equipment such as that used in the bauxite industry, it is necessary to first advise the ITA, which then makes the necessary steps to ensure that this is done under the most favourable conditions.

Usually, the Traffic Authority will collaborate with the police and or the National Works Agency (NWA) doing a dry run of the route, with a view to identifying potential trouble spots. It may find, for instance, that it is necessary to widen the roadway along a corner for which it may be necessary to engage the services of the NWA. Such measures are undertaken at a cost to the person or organisation on whose behalf it is done, with the applicant also signing an agreement to repair any structures damaged as a result of this activity.

The collaboration would involve the police being on hand to direct and divert traffic, with the other agencies also lending their support and monitoring proceedings.

Failure to adhere to the regulations could prove costly since under Section 50 (6) of the Road Traffic Act, "any person convicted of an offence under subsection (1) shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a penalty not exceeding $25,000 or to both imprisonment and penalty".