Minister of Transport and Roads Development opens consultative workshop on awareness raising for Axle Load Control Act

[Deeq A.]

The Minister of Transport and Roads Development Mr. Abdillahi Abokor Osman along with the General Manager of Roads Development Authority Mr. Ibrahim Saed Elmi opened a consultative workshop on Axle Load Control Act (ALCA) today in Hargeisa.

The workshop, which was funded by GIZ and organized by Somaliland Y-PEER, were attended by participants from the Roads Development Authority, representatives from transport companies, truck owners and drivers, poets and communications specialists.

According to the Minister of Transport and Roads Development Mr. Abdillahi Abokor, who spoke at the opening session of the workshop, the ALCA Act will soon be implemented but awareness raising among key stakeholders including track owners, drivers and transport companies will first be undertaken before the law is being fully enforced.

“As the Act is new to Somaliland transport industry, it could only be implemented effectively if we inform and educate the target groups well before it is in effect” Minister Abokor said.

The General Manager of Roads Development Authority Mr. Ibrahim Saed Elmi who also provided speech during the workshop told participants that the meeting was held to give stakeholders opportunity to participate in the planning process and provide their recommendations related to how best could ULCA Act be communicated across Somaliland. He added that the project will officially be inaugurated in late February.

Ibrahim Saed Elmi, General Manager of Roads Development Authority

Mohamed Mahad Dama, Director of Somaliland Y-PEER, implementing partner of the project, told the media that workshop participants will develop communications plan for ALCA Act and select appropriate core messages for the campaign.

Eng. Yasin Ali Adan from RDA also stressed the importance of the ALCA Act for the  highways of Somaliland.

“Every year, we spend a lot of money on the maintenance of roads damaged by overloaded trucks. This law will help the Ministry, RDA and enforcement authorities to prevent trucks from crossing allowed limits of axle load while traveling on certain roads in Somaliland” Eng Yasin said.

ALCA Act is the first of it’s kind to be implemented in Somaliland as part of initiatives the Government want to improve safety and sustainability of Somaliland main roads.