Govt slaps weight limits tos ve 3 threatened bridges

Munima Sultana The government has slapped weight restrictions on three major bridges on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway from December 25 in an effort to save the key economic lifelines from collapsing under overloaded vehicles. All trucks, buses and trailers weighing over 44 tonnes won't be allowed to ply the bridges amid growing concerns that the decades-old infrastructures may cave in anytime due to overuse by heavy trailers. The collapse of any of these three bridges could send Bangladesh's export-import into a mess as 90 percent of the country's $55 billion foreign trade is conducted through the highway. Communications Minister Obaidul Quader Saturday announced the weight limits after he opened a weighing machine at the toll plaza of Meghna-Gumti Bridge at Daudkandi in Comilla. He told reporters overweight vehicles should be barred from entering the bridges from December 25. An overloaded vehicle must shed weight in line with the government restrictions to be able to board the bridges. The restrictions will be imposed for the vehicles moving to Chittagong from Dhaka, officials said, adding that there will be no limits for vehicles coming from the opposite side. The communications minister said the axle-load control --- better known as weight control --- has been necessary to save Meghna, Gumti and Kanchpur river bridges from falling down. "These bridges have become extremely vulnerable. We must protect them at any cost," he said and noted that the highway police were ordered to bar overloaded vehicles from traveling the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Continued to page 7 col. 1 Continued from page 1 col. 4 The minister also announced a government plan to launch a ferry service on the Meghna river by mid-January in order to divert overweight vehicles from the bridges to the waterways. Experts and officials, however, criticised the government's move to control weight only one-side of the highway, saying it could lead to huge congestion in the country's most important economic lifeblood. They said at least another station is necessary on the other side to check the vehicles. "As many as 20,000 vehicles including garments-laden 40-feet trailers ply on this highway everyday. So, if we slap limits only on one-side, it won't bring in the desired results," said an official. He said the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) had a plan to set up 18 weighing machine stations to check overloaded trucks, trailers and buses, but only six were set up. However, RHD officials said even the six machines could never be operated because of pressures from transport unions, political leaders and businessmen. "Had we carried out that plan, we would not have faced this emergency situation. We are now paying the price of policy procrastination," said a retired RHD official. Another official said lorries are allowed to carry a maximum 13 tonnes of goods on the highways, but almost all them regularly flout transport rules by loading up to 25 tonnes. "Overloaded vehicles are not only threatening the health of the bridges, but they are damaging roads too fast at the expense of billions of taka. As a result our annual road repair cost is spiking every year," he said. According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority's notification issued in 2004, excess load of goods are allowed depending on the number of axles. Transports with more than three rear axle are allowed to carry 15 tonnes and it goes up to 44 tonnes in the case of 10 axles. Experts said overloading is not a "one-off" concern only for the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. If the government wants to continue checking overloaded vehicles on the highways, it has to do the job round the year in all the major roads of the country, said the retired official. "The government cannot give restriction for a month or two. It has to keep the limits forever to save the roads and the bridges after repair," said the official. He added rehabilitation of the Meghna, Gumuti and Kanchpur bridges would take up at least two years and the government should devise a contingency plan so that foreign trade is not hampered during the period. When contacted, a RHD official said bidding for the rehab of the threatened Meghna bridge has opened and it would take at least two months to give work order.