Accra, May 5, GNA -Government will enforce the axle load policy to control loading at the ports of entry effective June 1, 2009 in accordance with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (Union Economique et Mon=E9taire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA) regulations 2005.

Mr Joe Gidisu, Minister of Roads and Highways, who announced this on Tuesday said in accordance with ECOWAS regulations, vehicles would be allowed a maximum height of four metres above the road surface while axle load of 11.5 tonnes would be allowed per single axle with weight varying from 51 tonnes for a maximum for six axle trucks. Axle load is the maximum weight a vehicle could take in relation to its wheels.

Mr Gidisu at a press briefing to present the report on some Ghanaian truck drivers, who were stranded at the Burkina Faso-Niger border due to overloading, said "In this regard, the Ministry will hold a stakeholders forum to educate key players in the road transport industry on the enforcement of the regulation before the end of this month." Mr Gidisu said steps would be taken to restore the weighing scales installed at the Tema and Takoradi ports to full operations as soon as practicable but in the interim the Ghana Highway Authority will make available portable weigh bridges at the ports to regulate loading. He noted that a weighbridge station located at Offinso had been completed to ensure that any truck moving from Accra or Kumasi on the Accra-Paga corridor could be checked.

The Minister said enforcement activities at Tema and other stations along the corridor at Yapei and Bolga would be intensified and height gauges will be made available at all check points. He therefore called on personnel of the Ghana Police Service to perform their duties well, adding, "acts of malfeasance will never be countenanced under any circumstance.government is determined to make all necessary logistical support available."

Mr Gidisu said he headed a delegation to Niger to ascertain the truth about Ghanaian truck drivers stranded at the borders for non-compliance to the axle load policy and said a total number of 300 vehicles with about 600 drivers and mates had been arrested at the Burkina Faso-Niger border.

At the time of the visit, 73 vehicles were left to be processed with offences varying from overloading to non payment of custom duties. He said most of the trucks arrested were from the Tema and Takoradi ports heading for Niamey and most of the drivers did not belong to any of the transport associations in Ghana.

"The drivers had difficulty fending for themselves and reaching their truck owners for assistance," the Minister said and noted that the delegation travelled by road to enable them to get access to all the stranded vehicles on the way.

Mr Gidisu expressed concern about the practice where truck drivers took additional load while in transit and said it was a major draw back to the axle load control at the ports of entry.

He said after the Ghanaian government delegation had dialogued with their Nigerien counterparts they agreed that overloading fees would not be waived and trucks found to be overloaded must settle the commensurate overloading fees before being allowed entry.

Actions will however be expedited on trucks going through custom and administrative formalities to avoid undue delay.

The Minister advised drivers to ensure that they complied with the laws to avoid being punished and urged them to join the various drivers' unions and associations to enable the Ministry to monitor their programmes.