THE Land Transport Authority has booked 182 vehicles for overloading in the first quarter of 2016.

LTA chief executive officer, Naisa Tuinaceva said they were disappointed that cases of non-compliance continued to pop up despite the consistent awareness created on the issues by LTA, Fiji Roads Authority and other stakeholders.

“The consequences of carrying excess load can be deadly as not only does it reduce the lifespan of roads and vehicles, but it also reduces the effectiveness of a significant impairment of the driver’s ability which puts the driver and other road users at risk,” Mr Tuinaceva said.

“Excessive load has caused bridges to break in the past, and there is also an increase in the number of overloaded vehicles involved in road accidents and incidents.

“Therefore, we are reminding the road hauliers to respect the laws of our country, help reduce damage to our roads and to maintain road safety,” he said.

Mr Tuinaceva further stated that road maintenance cost the Government millions of dollars annually which was separate from the construction of new roads and other capital works.

“Around $50million to $60million dollars is spent on our roads annually for extra maintenance and renewal purposes — this is a huge and valuable amount that could be useful elsewhere.

“Therefore, we are reminding the road hauliers to respect the laws of our country, help reduce damage to our roads and to maintain road safety.”