Allen Kagina, Executive Director of UNRA acknowledged that there are challenges managing weigh bridges
Parliament’s Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has ordered for a probe into the alleged fraud and bribery taking place at weigh bridges, after reports emerged that some truck drivers are conniving with staff at Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to elude paying fines for overloading.
The directive was issued by Joel Ssenyonyi (Nakawa West) who pointed out that while UNRA is struggling to raise funds for the construction of road projects, there are UNRA staff colluding with drivers to pay lesser amount in bribes than the penalties prescribed in the UNRA guidelines on weigh bridges.
Ssenyonyi asked UNRA to reveal if the top management is aware of some people who don’t pay the penalty as it should, but instead they pay something smaller to the people manning these weigh bridges especially mobile weigh bridges in Buwama and Kampala.
“We must be able to deal with the culprits because if there is leakage at the bottom yet you are struggling with money for projects and there is a leakage which you must arrest because if someone is supposed to pay a penalty, and they pay a bribe, your system doesn’t capture it. The abuse also continues because someone will overload twice because they know they will get past the weigh bridges,” said Ssenyonyi.
According to Regulation 21 of the Uganda National Roads Authority (Vehicle Dimensions And Load Control) Regulations 2017, the overloading fees for maximum gross weight ranges from 0.5 tonnes which attracts a charge US$90.95 (about Shs341,614) while trucks that over load to a tune of 31.5tonnes and above are charged US$145,889.80 (equivalent to Shs548,080,810).
John Bosco Ssejjemba, Director of Road Safety Protection at UNRA acknowledged that reports of bribery have been reported to the Authority and so far, five staff have been dismissed after investigations, noting, “The Authority runs a zero tolerance to corruption, but among the apples, there will always be those bad apples. But when this information comes to us, we have taken a tough stand against it.”
Allen Kagina, Executive Director of UNRA concurred with the Committee that there are challenges with the management of axle load and abuse of axle loads and asked the Committee to grant the Authority time to come up with proposals on how to combat the vice.
She explained: “There are also challenges related to capacity and some of the solutions proposed by the Committee like CCTV are actually good, they aren’t a full solution but they will help. Allow us do a comprehensive review of the management of axle load restrictions on our network and we can prepare proposals. But in essence I want to say that this area is an area that needs to be reviewed.”
COSASE Chairperson, Ssenyonyi agreed to allow the Authority come up with solutions to end the vice remarking, “I am glad the Executive Director acknowledges as such. It is important that you people at the top understand what is happening down there. You need to be sure of that entire structure, how does it operate including the drivers of these weigh bridges who are extorting the vehicle owners with the officers, sometimes the bribe is cash or mobile money.”
Ssejjemba also informed the Committee that in the 2021/2022 Financial Year, UNRA collected Shs1.5Bn in fines on weigh bridges and the money is paid through Uganda Revenue Authority to the Consolidated Fund.
UNRA is currently operating 9 weigh bridges and among these the Fixed way bridges in; Mbarara, Lukaaya, Luwero, Magamaga, Mbale, Elegu as well as Mobile weigh bridges in Kasese, Masaka road, Kampala and in Kamudini.
