“Are the vehicles being inspected?” DNA member Karta Bink asked the government in parliament on Tuesday. She raised this question in connection with the heavy traffic that crosses the Jules Wijdenboschbrug every day. According to her, this contributes to traffic congestion and there are concerns about overloading the bridge.
Bink pointed to the long traffic jams that have occurred since the start of the school year on the bridge over the Suriname River and on the Oost-Westverbinding near Meerzorg. According to the parliamentarian, traffic flows more smoothly with the help of the police. However, she is concerned about the lack of checks on vehicles carrying heavy loads that want to cross the bridge.
“Vehicles carrying heavy equipment and tonnes of cargo cross the bridge every day.” Bink asked whether these vehicles are inspected and what the maximum permitted weight on the bridge is. She also advocated a policy under which vehicles with heavy loads may cross the bridge only at designated times, in order to reduce the risk of accidents and traffic congestion.
“We do not want a truck carrying logs to once again ram several vehicles off the bridge, with numerous victims.” In doing so, she referred to the accident of December 15, 2021, in which a truck carrying logs rammed several vehicles while descending the bridge. One person died in the incident. Bink stressed that such an accident must be prevented.
The parliamentarian also asked the Ministry of Openbare Werken en Ruimtelijke Ordening to thoroughly inspect the bridge and carry out regular maintenance. “Trees are growing on the bridge, and that cannot be allowed.”
