By Ashiadey Dotse
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has announced that the government will drastically increase the penalty for vehicle overloading, from GHS 5,000 to GHS 50,000, under the Axle Load Control Reforms. The move is part of broader efforts to protect Ghana’s roads from damage caused by heavy trucks.
Speaking during the Government Accountability Series in Accra, Mr. Agbodza said the increase is intended to deter overloading, which continues to damage major roads, including the Agona Junction to Tarkwa road, which has already deteriorated less than a year after construction.
“This is not a fee, it is a penalty for wrongdoing,” the minister emphasized. He added that the goal is not to generate revenue but to eliminate the practice of overloading. “If the accruals become zero, it means people have stopped overloading. That is our aim.”
Mr. Agbodza noted that no amount of money collected from axle load penalties can fully repair the destruction caused by overloaded trucks. In addition to increasing fines, the government will tighten regulations to catch violators who try to bypass the law.
He revealed that some drivers load goods within the legal limit at the Tema Port, only to illegally add more goods after leaving the port.
“The overloading regime is complex,” he said, explaining that the current system penalizes only drivers, not the owners of the goods.
To address this loophole, Mr. Agbodza said new regulations will extend penalties to the owners of overloaded goods. In some cases, the excess goods will be confiscated and auctioned, with proceeds going into the Road Maintenance Trust Fund.
“If you lose half your goods because of overloading, next time you will follow the rules,” he added, stressing that the tougher penalties are meant to serve as a strong deterrent.
