There are more non-tariff barriers in Kenya and Uganda hindering free movement of goods from Mombasa port to the region, a new survey has revealed.

The survey conducted by Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA), indicates that despite the drastic reduction of barriers in countries like Rwanda and Burundi, transporters still face significant challenges on Ugandan and Kenyan roads.

The survey, carried out between September 2013 and February 2014, was done by use of Global Positioning system (GPS), whereby truck drivers were given GPS kits and questionnaires.

GPS automatically sends information to the EAC secretariat whenever a truck is stopped on the way.

The findings show that Kenya recorded the highest truck-stops with 1,264 stops while Uganda had 362.

In Rwanda, drivers were stopped six times, while Burundi and DRC recorded only four stops each and South Sudan only two.

The report was released by the NCTTCA Council of Ministers at the closure of a meeting in Kigali on Friday.

The meeting was convened to discuss the performance of the Northern Corridor and how best to improve the transportation of goods on the route.

The report shows that most stops occurred at weighbridges with 14.07 per cent followed by personal reasons at 12.9 per cent.

The findings further indicate that there is no sufficient evidence to show reduction in weighbridges since the difference is only one per cent.

However, the police check points generally reduced from 15 per cent in a previous survey to 13 .6 per cent currently.

In Kenya, drivers were delayed due to various reasons, including police checks, border procedures, weighbridges, vehicle breakdown, customs check as well as personal reasons.

In Uganda, most stops are due to weighbridges, and border post procedures, while in Rwanda most stops were attributed to inland terminal procedures and customs check points.

Source: The New Times

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