It has come to the attention of the Road Traffic Authority (RTA) and the National Roads Authority (NRA) to start a nationwide awareness to educate road users on the importance of road and bridge weight limitations.
The awareness will target industries and companies that transport heavy loads and hopes to minimize the amount of damaged caused to roads and bridges by over-loaded vehicles.
The deteriorating state of the Highlands Highway is evidence that over loading vehicles can have a huge impact on road conditions.
“We have to educate and make these companies aware of the weight limitations and the fines we will impose if they exceed weight limits,” said RTA CEO, Nelson Terema.
In the last three years, there have been a number of road disasters involving overloading. In early 2018, Banab Bridge in Madang Province collapsed after an overloaded truck broke the bridge’s support structure.
“It will be a six-month awareness campaign. We will have to educate these companies to follow the laws and regulations of road transportation,” Mr Terema said.
By Stanley Ove Jnr – EMTV News, Port Moresby
