Minister of Transport and Works, Mike Henry has signed a contract for the supply and installation of four weigh scales around the island in order to reduce the practice of overloading by large vehicles. The contract valued at just over US$506 thousand will result in weighing stations being erected in Coral Springs, Trelawny, Ferry and Harbour View in Kingstonand Agualta Vale in St. Mary. The Weigh Stations are expected to be completed within three months.
Speaking at a ceremony for the signing of the contract, Minister Henry said that the overloading and improper loading of trucks traversing the road network had increased significantly over the past 15 years, exacerbating the damage to the island’s arterial road network.
He said that it made no sense pumping large amounts of scarce funds into road rehabilitation and expansion, only to have the network wantonly damaged by the actions of some truck operators who are focused only on their personal gain, and not on the national interest.
The procurement and installation of the scales is being managed by the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC), through funds made available by the Caribbean Development Bank.
In the meantime, the National Works Agency (NWA) has acquired four mid-size wheel loaders, valued at 15 – million dollars each to complement its ageing fleet of small size wheel loaders. The acquisition was made through funding provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
It is the first time the NWA is purchasing front end loaders since it was established as an executive agency in 2001. The newest of these units in its fleet, which were carried over from the previous Public Works Department (PWD), are about 13 years old.
The new acquisition will support both emergency response and force account projects. The acquisition is part of an overall programme to better equip the NWA to respond to the infrastructural challenges that are anticipated for the 2009 hurricane season, along with other regular needs at both the national and parish levels. Already one of the new units is in service in St. Thomas.
