Technical glitch, lorry influx cause Wenda weighbridge snarl-up
Iringa. Persistent lorry congestion at the Wenda weighbridge in Mgama Ward, Iringa District, is being caused by two key factors: a technical fault and an influx of lorries, according to the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) regional authorities.
Speaking to The Citizen in an exclusive interview, Tanroads' regional acting manager, Mr Hosea Machaka, explained that currently, only one lane of the weighbridge is operational due to a fault in the sensor of the Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) system.
A lorry driver operating between Dar es Salaam and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mr Juma Shaban.
He said a contractor is on site installing a replacement sensor to restore full dual-lane functionality.
“At present, all trucks are weighed on a single lane, significantly slowing the flow of vehicles,” he said.
Mr Machaka added that the contractor is installing a new WIM sensor for vehicles approaching from the Dar es Salaam direction, aiming to ease congestion.
He also noted a nationwide increase in trucks using weighbridges, including at Wenda station.
The second cause, he explained, is a midweek surge of trucks from the port, noting that many drivers tend to travel in convoys after resting at various stopovers, creating a bottleneck when arriving at the weighbridge simultaneously.
Several drivers waiting in the queue expressed frustration and urged the government to act swiftly to reduce prolonged delays.
“A lot of time is wasted here, we burn extra fuel and lose valuable travel hours. The government needs to address this promptly,” said one of the affected drivers, Mr Frank Michael.
