Heavy trucks, heavier fines: metro rakes in over R339k through reopened weighbridges
The Akasia weighbridges have already generated over R339 500 in fines issued to overloaded trucks since their reintroduction into service this month.
The weighbridges reopened on July 11 after more than a decade of inactivity.
The Tshwane metro reactivated the two long-neglected municipal weighbridges to ensure road safety.
This is also a decisive measure in cracking down on a long-standing culture of impunity in the freight and logistics industry.
The facilities that used to be dormant and a symbol of administrative decay, are now frontlines in the metro's mission to reassert control over its crumbling road infrastructure.
In just under two weeks of operation, the TMPD has used the weighbridges to identify and penalise freight operators whose overloading practices have long wreaked havoc on the metro's transport corridors.
MMC for Community Safety Hannes Coetzee said these heavy-duty trucks, often overlooked due to a lack of enforcement capacity, contribute to road damage and heightened accident risks.
'The reactivation of the weighbridges represents a strategic turning point, not only from a law enforcement perspective, but in terms of restoring institutional trust. For TMPD officers, it's a morale boost and a return to functional policing.
'Today, they stand empowered, and we stand with them,' Coetzee added.
For years, residents have watched roads deteriorate while witnessing little to no action against the vehicles responsible.
The damage caused by overloaded trucks costs municipalities millions annually in repairs, as well as in lost economic productivity and public confidence.
Beyond the immediate revenue in fines, the long-term impact could include improved road safety, longer-lasting infrastructure, and a more regulated freight environment.
'We will not allow your roads to be destroyed, your safety to be disregarded, or your municipality to be governed without consequence,' said Coetzee.
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