Big trucks damage roads

Road rules that have Rnot been updated for 50 years are allowing huge trucks to cause costly damage to roads in Samoa, according to the World Bank.

“A 2013 study carried out by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) found that, out of a sample of 49 heavy vehicles tested, 100 per cent exceeded the maximum allowable weight per axle of 6.6 tons,” reads a bank report.

“This has prevented appropriate road use monitoring to exclude the heaviest and most damaging vehicles, impairing the longevity ofroad assets.”

That finding is among several in a lengthy policy document discussing development in Samoa.

Titled International Development Association Program Document for a Proposed Grant in the Amount of SDR 10.1 Million (US$15 million) Including SDR 6.7 Million (US $10 Million Equivalent) In Crisis Response Window Resources to the Independent State of Samoa for A Samoa Development Policy Operation, the report goes into details on several development challenges, including roads.

Dated June 21 2013, the report looked at the life span of our road assets so as to enhance their climate resilience.

“The road network is central for the ability of Samoans to access both economic activities and social services,” the report says.

“Road use regulations are overly restrictive for the Samoan context and are not being enforced, impairing the longevity of roads.

“Road regulations regarding vehicle standards, including maximum weight to be carried on each axle of two-axle vehicles, are set out in the Road Traffic Regulations 1961.

“These regulations, which were based on Australian standards, are overly restrictive for the Samoan context and have not been revised in the past 50 years.”

“As a resul t , they are considered unenforceable.”

The report notes the Government is enacting improvements to the road use regulations and enforcement framework so as to enhance the longevity and climate resilience of infrastructure.

“Lack of enforcement of vehicle loading regulations has led to dangerously overloaded heavy vehicles becoming commonplace in parts of Samoa.”

“Recent studies carried out by the L.T.A. have identified inappropriate road use, and in particular the overloading of heavy vehicles, to be an important factor in reducing the asset life of roads and increasing maintenance costs.”

“This has led to the premature degradation of road surfaces, rendering them vulnerable to further deterioration from climatic events.”

“To reverse this situation, the GoS (Government of Samoa) is working on updating the road use regulations so that the standards et are realistic for the Samoan context.”

“The new regulations should only affect the heaviest and most damaging vehicles, reducing road maintenance costs whilst not significantly increasing transport costs or discouraging economic activity.”

According to the report, the revision of these vehicle weight limits is part of a coordinated set of reform actions that will “operationalize” an effective and appropriate regulatory and enforcement regime.

“The L.T.A. has already prepared revisions to the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1961 and the Road Traffic (Payment of Fines) Act 2009 to provide for the use of weighbridges to monitor loading and introduce penalties for exceeding maximum weight regulations,” the report reads.

“The enactment of these reforms would enhance the effectiveness of other climateresilience measures that will be introduced in the construction of new roads, such as weather-proofing.”

The Bank says the Government has elaborated an implementation plan for introducing these road use regulation changes.

“The plan includes costed and time-bound actions and defines objectives for analytical work to underpin the reform which will be carried out over FY14," the report reads.

“This plan was approved by Cabinet as part of the L.T.A. Post-Cyclone Recovery Implementation Plan on May 27, 2013.”

Placing the plan in a climate resilience framework the Bank’s report lists several vulnerabilities our roads face.

“On the principal islands of Upolu and Savai'i, there are about 2,340 km of roads, 14 per cent (332 km) of which are paved,” according to the report.

“The road network faces a range of climate vulnerabilities including coastal exposure to sea-level rise, storm surge, wave action during cyclones and tsunamis, inland flooding and landslips during extreme rainfall events, damage from earthquakes and accelerated pavement deterioration due to extreme weather and rising water tables in some locations.

“T.C.E. (Tropical Cyclone Evan) has caused great damage to Samoa's road network in Upolu and Savai'i.”

“During the cyclone, many large trees were downed, some of which fell across roads making them impassable.”

“The flooding and rapid runoff of water caused damage to several roads and at least one bridge.”

“The overall extent of the damage to roads may not be fully apparent for some time as water may have penetrated the surface, which could lead to subsiding of some sections.

“This includes damage to the cross-island oad, which is the economic artery of Upolu.

“In remote rural areas, roads were damaged and blocked by fallen trees and debris, preventing access to health care facilities.”

“Affected roads at several points in these islands also prevented access to water intake points and water treatment plants.”

The report says the reconstruction needs of the transport sector will be the single largest area of expenditure in the recovery framework at over $107 million Tala.

“Damage to transport sector assets relate to the amount of destruction of physical infrastructure, such as roads bridges and ports,” it reads.

“To restore damaged roads back to their pre-disaster condition, both rehabilitation and reconstruction works will be required.”

“More over, damage to transport infrastructure has a knock-on effect on tourism, agriculture and other productive sectors.”