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NHA plan to

control overloading

ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority has evolved a plan to control overloading as the wayward practice causes a loss of billions of rupees to the exchequer every year.

Officials said on Sunday, the plan included installation of weigh-bridges at important points along major highways to contain the illegal practice of overloading that severely damages the roads, incurring heavy expenditures on their repair.

"Pakistani roads have been constructed to sustain an axle load of eight tonnes while, currently, the truckers and commercial transports are plied with as much as 20 to 24 tonnes axle load Ñ about three times more than the capacity of roads", as NHA spokesman said.

The NHA, the spokesman said would have to spend billions of rupees to repair the roads "which will be a sheer waste of money and time".

In addition, the authority has also planned to create awareness about the problem among the transporters and the truckers.

"We will disseminate information to the transporters and the truckers across the country and ask them to cooperate with the authority in country's supreme interests".

According to the officials, when Pakistan came into being the roads did not have the capacity to sustain heavy traffic and subsequently the road network was expanded without considering appropriate construction design until 20 years back when National Highway Board was formed.ÑAPP