Siaya County Launches Axle Load Weighing Machines

By Robert Mutasi 

The Siaya County government has deployed the axle load weighing machine on various roads in the region. 

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the Department of Trade collaborated to install the machine in order to enhance revenue collection.

This will mainly be accomplished by having people use the devices and by charging defaulters with fines and penalties. 

Siaya County's Executive Committee Member for Trade, Grace Agola, stated that the initiative's goal is to maintain the county's road system's excellence.

She said the County Government used to collect money without taking into account the weight of trucks carrying sand and other materials throughout the area when there were no axle load limits. 

Its goal is to encourage the fair trade of miners, harvesters, and transporters of natural resources. 

"Initially, we never had an Axle load but when you look at the way we collect revenue along the highways especially from where they collect sand and building materials. They have been doing it but not regarding the loading and the management of the roads," she stated. 

Agola disclosed that since the axle load limits are movable, they will be implementing mobile weighbridge. 

"Today we were launching the axle load on our roads so that we will ensure that the roads are maintained and we also collect revenue in that regard," said Ms Agola. 

According to her, the machine will improve road management. 

Additionally, it will reduce the likelihood that overloaded vehicles will damage county roads and other government roads. 

"Apart from collecting revenue, we are going to ensure that the roads are being used considerably in terms of tire weights," she said.

For the revenue collection area, where employing these weighing devices will be helpful, enhancing accountability is an additional crucial goal. 

The county hopes to obtain more than one million shillings from hiring and road services axle machines.