The Ghana National Cargo Transporters Association (GNCTA) says it will continue to pursue its agenda to harmonise axel load policy among Ecowas countries.
Axle
load is the acceptable weight of goods a vehicle is allowed to carry. An axle
load policy is intended, among other things, to prolong the lifespan of roads.
Currently, the axel load policy among ECOWAS
countries is not harmonised, according to a study of perspectives of transport
sector stakeholders that was initiated by GNCTA with support from the BUSAC
Fund.
The study commenced in June 2012 and was aimed at engaging
the government to simplify the process for
weighing trucks and make it fair, transparent and efficient to support the implementation
of the common axle load policy.
Among steps intended to harmonise the policy
between Ghana and ECOWAS include amending the current axle load limit of 10 tonnes
to agree with the ECOWAS protocol limit of 11.5 tonnes.
Additional
limits will also be derived for axle types other than the single axle to which
the 11.5 tonne limit applies.
The
harmonised policy is to reduce the number of vehicles with axle load of more
than 13 tonnes by 80%, and ensure that no truck axle load is more than 16
tonnes.
“There will be the need to play a greater role, especially
in the education of members on new axle load regulations; negotiate some relief
for transporters to famine and war-torn areas; and provide warehousing,
transportation infrastructure and collateral management.
“There is also the need for greater involvement of private-sector
operators in the drafting of the axle load policy to regulate the cargo
transport industry,” the study stated.
It observed that cargo transporters face a number of
constraints in the transportation of goods within the country and across
borders within the West African sub-region.
Significant challenges identified during field
interviews include the use of more cargo trucks to convey limited cargo as a
result of axle load limitations, lack of good road networks, and harassment by
law enforcement agencies such as the Police, Immigration and Custom Excise and
Preventive Service (CEPS) – which tends to increase transportation costs.
French speaking countries in the West African
Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) surround Ghana, making the language barrier
and the WAEMU applicable regulations a concern for truck drivers from Ghana.
Yet Ghana is a regional leader in many road
transport aspects, including complying with axle load regulations, governance,
and infrastructure.
Ghana currently is one of the best performers in
road governance across the region, with the lowest bribes and limited delays. However,
the number of controls from the Police is still among the highest in the region
– one control per 100 km. The number of controls from CEPS is also among the
highest.
The report observed that there are many active
checkpoints in Ghana: 44 checkpoints along the 880 km distance between the Port
of Tema and the Burkina Faso border of Paga.
While most of these checkpoints do not operate on a
systematic control basis, this can be considered a form of harassment,
especially for foreign drivers, who are more likely to stop at every
checkpoint, the report said.
The report advised that in order to optimise the
impact of actions to reduce road harassment, stakeholders should focus on the
checkpoints where higher harassment is experienced.
The report aims at being a useful tool for trade
and transport stakeholders, whose ultimate goal is to boost economic growth and
reduce poverty in order to facilitate trade. It also provides findings and
recommendations in order to initiate targeted actions for improvement
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