The prices of some goods could go up when a new law limiting the weight of heavy vehicles on UAE roads, being drawn up by the Ministry of Interior, comes into force.

Experts fear that transport costs will go up because carriers will be forced to split loads between two or more vehicles instead of piling it all on to one lorry as they do at present. The Heavy Vehicles Law No.8 was first put forward in 1986 but has lain dormant since.

A committee, consisting of a number of officials from the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing and the seven municipalities, is in the process of laying down the regulations of the law, including setting the allowed axle weights for vehicles and the fines that will be imposed on offenders.

Engineer Nadeem Hussien Ali, Director of Roads and Utilities at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, told Gulf News: "The by-laws will control heavy vehicle movement and help put an end to road accidents.

"A lot of serious road accidents take place because of heavy vehicles being overloaded. Overloaded vehicles also damage roads and cost the Ministry millions of dirhams a year in maintenance work." The heavy vehicles law was issued in 1986. However, it did not provide a mechanism for its implementation.

Recently the Ministry of Public Works and Housing announced its Dh15 million Heavy Vehicle Axle loads project which will be used to implement the law by providing mobile and fixed point weighbridges to check loads.

As part of the project, Dubai and the Northern Emirates will be supplied with three or four weighbridges to be located on major roads used by heavy vehicles.

"There are already four machines in Abu Dhabi, and there will be eight fixed weighing machines in the UAE plus a number of portable weigh pads," said Engineer Ali. Checks will be carried out after the committee has established the permitted weights for heavy vehicles.

Vehicles will be subject to two tests. First they will be checked while moving by the High Speed Weigh In Motion Machine. If the vehicle fails that test it will be sent to the Low Speed Weigh In Motion to be re-weighed.

Engineer Ali said the authorities expect many companies to protest against the by-law. He added that the prices of some products could also rise, especially goods like building materials.

"The new regulations will affect the market in the UAE," he said. "Instead of one vehicle being loaded, for example with 50 tonnes of cargo, the company will have to divide the cargo into two or three vehicles to comply with the permitted weight. That will force the company to increase the price of its goods."

He suggested that the authorities implement the new law gradually, in three stages, in order to avoid economic problems. "I would suggest that the implementation of the law start with setting weights near or close to what is used now, and then reduce the weight gradually every year till they reach the desired weight."