Uniform axle loads way to go

The pending harmonisation of axle load limits across the five East African Community member states will not only ensure efficiency in transport, but will reduce transport costs, especially for landlocked states such as Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Moreover, the overall savings in the five member states could exceed $1 billion.

The passage EAC Vehicle Load Control Bill, 2012 will allow a uniform 56 tonnes per truck. Initially, Kenya, which has a maximum of 48 tonnes per truck, had resisted the increase in the axle load on the grounds that the country is left to bear the brunt of repairing roads damaged by trucks destined for Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, DRC and South Sudan. 

It will be a challenge for Kenya to put more money into road maintenance and work out a cost-sharing formula among countries that use Kenyan roads.  The EAC joint infrastructure project is an option Kenya could use. Still, any move that will reduce the cost of cross-border transport is welcome — especially since cross-border transport is 3-5 times more expensive in Africa than in Asia and Latin America.