Nimule Weightbridge installed in February [Photo: Courtesy]

The Ministry of Roads and Bridges has announced plans to install five more weighbridges across the country to help protect national roads from damage caused by overloaded trucks.

A weighbridge, also known as a truck scale, is a large platform used to measure the weight of a vehicle and its cargo.

Currently, South Sudan has only one weighbridge located at Nimule, the country’s busiest border point. It is used to check the weight of trucks entering from neighbouring countries.

Speaking during a one-day workshop in Juba, Roads and Bridges Minister Simon Mijok Mijak said the government has purchased new equipment from the Czech Republic.

“This is number one weight Bridge. We still have five. Is a long journey as our technical have already shown us the modern weight Bridge was imported from Czech Republic and they are ready to supply more as we continue our journey to build modern system,” said Minister Mijak.

Vice President Taban Deng Gai, who also attended the event, said weighbridges are meant to protect roads and not to raise government revenue.

“Weight Bridge is actually is a government work. It’s not about bringing revenue. It’s about protecting for such a form of roads. But because the government could not finance weight Bridge and the road is being destroyed and for your information reason I was with the minister,” he said.

“We took a journey from Juba up to Bhar Elgazal up to Bentiu by roads. But the road to Bhar Elgazal is under challenging. We need the Way Bridge very soon. In that in that way because,” added Vice President Taban.

Vice President Taban, who heads the Infrastructure Cluster, stressed the need for a weighbridge along the Juba-Bahr el Ghazal highway, which he said is in poor condition.

He added that protecting the country’s roads remains a top government priority as it works to establish a modern road monitoring system.