Ground-breaking Mass Vehicle Bill on the cards

In a significant move towards the preservation of Namibia’s national road network, works and transport minister John Mutorwa introduced the Mass Vehicle Bill in parliament on Tuesday.In it, he proposed robust measures to minimise excessive damage to roads and to enforce mass regulations for vehicles, while outlining a judgment process for violations.According to the Bill, the minister can create a points-based penalty system to ensure this law is enforced. This would mean assigning points for each violation, potentially cancelling or suspending driver&#039;s licences or vehicle registrations if they accumulate too many points, and introducing any additional rules necessary to maintain the system&#039;s effectiveness - with points assignable to the violator, the vehicle, or both.Under the proposed legislation, all weighbridges used to enforce the Bill must be accredited in line with internationally recognised standards, and will undergo audits every five years to ensure compliance and effectiveness, securing the integrity of vehicle mass measurement across the nation.One of the Bill&#039;s central features is a maximum permissible mass for vehicles using the national road network, aimed at mitigating the rapid deterioration of road infrastructure caused by overloading - a concern that has long plagued Namibia&#039;s transport sector, Mutorwa said.“The Roads Authority may impose a fee which may include the estimated cost of the damage to the public road that the excess mass may cause, calculated in accordance with internationally accepted pavement design principles.”Mass violationsThe legislation also seeks to establish a clear liability framework for mass violations, holding the registered vehicle operator accountable and - in cases where managers, agents or employees commit a violation - both the individual and the operator will be held responsible; unless the operator can prove measures were taken to prevent such an act.The introduction of an electronic weighbridge management system is also on the cards, which will “support all functions in the weighing chain, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of mass monitoring and enforcement”.Moreover, the Bill’s prosed points system could see the suspension or cancellation of vehicle licences, operator cards and cross-border permits if a threshold of demerit points is reached. jemima@namibiansun.com

Ground-breaking Mass Vehicle Bill on the cards

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-18

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Ground-breaking Mass Vehicle Bill on the cards

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-18

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