Gov’t approves strict truck weight limits nationwide

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill announced on Monday that Cabinet has approved a 15-tonne per axle limit, down from the 18-tonne limit previously allowed on the old Demerara Harbour Bridge.

“Part of the problem is that the old Demerara River Bridge had a limited use of trucks of up to 18 tonnes,” Edghill explained. “The regulations have been approved at Cabinet, and I’m in the course of putting them into order — 15 tonnes per axle. That is the weight we are allowing on bridges and roads across the country.”

Edghill stressed that overweight vehicles have been a major contributor to road degradation and costly repairs. To enforce the new limits, weigh-in-motion scales will be installed at strategic points, and the Guyana Police Force will use 1,000 truck clamps.

“When you’re caught overweight, it’s not just a ticket,” Edghill cautioned. “We are clamping you, and you’re going to stay there until the excess weight is discharged. Because if we allow you to continue, you’re making the damages as you go along.”

This announcement to enforce strict truck weight limits across the country to protect roads and bridges, comes at the heels of the commissioning of the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge on Sunday, last. The Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge, designed for heavier traffic, is a cornerstone of the government’s infrastructure modernization programme.