Load management to protect roads stressed

As per law, action was being taken against vehicles for overloading

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman directed the transport department on Monday to make the axle load management system more effective in the province.

He was presiding over a meeting in which it was decided that the toll tax on all roads would be collected online to ensure transparency.

The chief secretary said axle load management was being successfully implemented on 1,700 kilometres of highways in the province and permanent weigh stations had been established at nine places for checking freight vehicles.

As per law, an action was being taken against vehicles for overloading.

Read Safety, transport plans set in motion

The official said roads built at a cost of billions of rupees were damaged due to non-implementation of axle load laws, adding that accidents and damage could be avoided through the management system.

The chief secretary said that instead of constructing new roads, priority was given to the repair and reconstruction of 133 inter-district roads and work on 104 of the routes would be completed soon.

Provincial Transport Secretary Ahmed Javed Qazi said signboards regarding the weight limit for freight vehicles had been installed at the entrances of all the districts.

He said axle load rules had been implemented on 17 important traffic corridors.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2024.