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Sunday, May 10, 2015 

New weigh bridges to ease Kenya flow

MOMBASA, Kenya - The government is successfully implementing high speed measurement systems at the country’s weigh bridges aimed at reducing congestion and improving  transit cargo movement writes JOSEPH BURITE.

Contractor, SGS Kenya has installed High Speed Weighing in Motion systems which remove human discretion from weigh bridge operations, Albert Stockell, Kenya Managing Director told reporters on Sunday. “The system became fully operational in December 2014 at the Mariakani weighbridge and has been extended to other sections on the route.”

 “With underground censors imbedded in the road, it automatically detects trucks that weigh more than the legal limit and selects them for static weighing,” he said.

“The need to stop each and every truck has been drastically reduced with currently just about 20% required to do static weighing, Stockell said at the Mariakani weighbridge near Mombasa without giving details of previous statistics.

“From port of Mombasa through Mariakani, Athi River, Gilgil, Webuye weighbridges, truck drivers are no longer stopped unless they exceed weigh limits,” he said.

The new weighbridge software does not allow for manual entry or manipulation of weigh results, according to SGS.

“If a driver decides to transgress by failing to divert and 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 for weighing,” he said.

Kenya National Highways Authority’s Axle load Control Manager Muita Ngatia said the technology has reduced human contact and motivated motorists to comply with the rules, drastically reducing the manipulation of records that lead to corruption at weighbridges.

“Initially, it was the police who decided which vehicle to weigh at the static scale but with the automated system, there is no short cut,” Ngatia said.  He said the SGS system has reduced the cost of transporting cargo in the region.

By Joseph Burite, Sunday, May 10th, 2015