AXLE LOAD OPERATIONS

Effects of axle overload on road pavement

Truck going through a fixed weighbridge
Road infrastructure represents huge investments for the
country, hence the need to protect these assets against
misuse and accelerated damage. The Axle Load control unit
has been mandated with responsibility to safeguard the
road infrastructure by regulating the permissible axle load,
axle group combinations and vehicle dimensions. These
limits are meant to ensure that roads last for their full design
life span with normal maintenance costs. In addition, control
of axle loads to prescribed limits also reduces transporters
maintenance costs and to a large extent improves road
safety.
REGULATIONS
It is mandatory for all vehicles whose Gross Vehicle
Mass (GVM) is 6.5 Tones and above to pass through a
weighbridge for weighing.
A penalty of $2000 is charged for any vehicle that absconds
a weighbridge.
All vehicles which are 2.65m wide and above and those
whose height is 4.8m and above MUST acquire an abnormal
load permit before using any public road.Abnormal load
permits are issued at RDA
A mobile weighbridge in operation
Arising from the above stated benefits the public is
encouraged to support this noble cause in order to grow our
economy and improve safety on our roads. Therefore, we
encourage all transporters to aquent themselves with the
legal limits and dimensions for various vehicle combinations
prescribed below and those that may not be in this brochure
Abnormal Load Permit Requirements
Length (m) Width (M) Condition

22 - 28 2.65 – 3.0 No escort

28 - 38 3.1 – 3.30 At least one own escort

38.0 - 45 3.35 – 4.9 At least two own escort

Above 45 5 and above At least two own escort

and one RDA escort
Truck going through a fixed weighbridge vehicle.

Damage to the road network
It is for this reason that the Government of Zambia through
Statutory Instrument No. 72 of the Public Roads Act imposed
legal limits on axles which damage our pavements and the
Gross Vehicle Mass which affect our Bridges in the long run.
To this effect the same SI empowers the Road Development
agency to collect compensation charges and fines which
even though
LOCATION OF WEIGHT BRIDGES Note. When need be, permit holders may be requested to
The RDA has fixed weighbridges which are dotted across provide traffic police and other relevant authorities to escort
the country to control axle load control. The agency also has besides own escorts.
two mobile weighbridges which are based in Lusaka and
the copperbelt established to support and counter check
the fixed weighbridges and also carry out spot checks,
especially on routes where there are no weighbridges
 VEHICLE TYPE LEGAL GVM

18,000kg
8,000kg 10,000kg

ROAD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

26,000kg
8,000kg 18,000kg

ROAD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

26,000kg CONTACT DETAILS

8,000 15,000 Road Development Agency Lusaka Regional Office
Head Quarters P.O. Box 30918
P.O. Box 50003, LUSAKA LUSAKA
Tel: 253801/253002/253088 Tel: 241765
Email: RDA_HQ@roads.gov.zm
Northern Province Regional Office
Central Province Regional office P.O. Box 410720
28,000kg P.O. Box, 80180, KASAMA
14000 18000
KABWE Tel. 221290/230046
Tel: 222263/224662
North Western Province Regional
Copperbelt Regional Office office
P.O. Box 71517 P.O. Box 110094
NDOLA SOLWEZI
Tel: 650264/650497 Tel: 821196
50,000kg

THE AXLE LOAD CONTROL UNIT

8,000kg 18,000kg 24,000kg Eastern Province Regional Office
Private Bag 18,
CHIPATA Southern Province Regional Office
Tel: 221033/ 222026 P.O. Box 640431
LIVINGSTONE
Luapula Regional Office Tel: 324097/321940
P.O. Box 710007
MANSA Western Province Regional Office
53,000kg
8,000kg 18,000kg 9,000kg 18,000kg Tel: 821702/821973 Plot 164, Mongu – Senanga Road
Private Bag Mongu VISION:
MONGU To be the leading Model Road Agency in the developing world
Tel: 222036 that is providing a world class Core Road Network in Zambia.

MISSION
To provide a World Class Core Road Network in Zambia
56,000kg For more details on vendor rating visit our website on http://www.rda.
8,000kg 18,000kg 18,000kg 1 8,000kg org.zm/index.php/publications

Good roads for sustanble development