A main factor in the rapid deterioration of the road network is overloading of heavy vehicles. The Zambian Road Development Agency established a project in 2004 to curb overloading. Benchmark tests show significant reduction of overloading from an average of 30 % to below 5% of legal limits. Anevaluation study to assess the economic benefit will be finished this year. The first of 9 new weighbridges was commissioned in February 2007. The standards have been developed to avoid corruptive practise. Corruption is widespread on the weighbridges and the fight to curb corruption is given political attention from the president of the Republic of Zambia and the Zambian politicians. The new legislation was enacted in May 2007, enforcing the principle of compensation from registered owners of overloaded vehicles to the Road Fund Agency. Fighting of corruption is embedded in the program in close co-operation with the Anti Corruption Commission, computer programs at the weighbridges enabling the management to trace corruption in the operations and training and development of new routines combined with aconsiderable increase in salaries. For the covering abstract see ITRD E139491.
Samenvatting