Lalmahomed asks Simons for immediate intervention over heavy transport on Wijdenboschbrug

According to the parliamentarian, heavily loaded trucks are once again crossing the bridge during the day, although restrictions were announced following the fatal traffic accident in December 2021. He wants clarity within fourteen days on the applicable rules and their enforcement.

In his letter, received by De Nationale Assemblée ((DNA) on September 29, 2026, Lalmohomed asks the president to urge the responsible ministries and services to take action. He describes the bridge as an essential connection between Paramaribo and Commewijne, used by thousands of people every day.

“What is the current safety regulation and is it actually being enforced?” the DNA member asks. According to him, there must be no ambiguity about this.

Lalmohomed refers to the serious traffic accident of December 15, 2021, involving a heavily loaded timber truck. According to the description in his letter, sixteen vehicles were involved in the collision, seventeen victims were taken away for medical treatment and one person died.

Following that accident, the parliamentarian said it was announced that heavy transport would be allowed to cross the bridge only between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. The reporting requirement for carriers of heavy equipment would also be strictly applied. He writes that police reconfirmed and enforced this restriction in 2022.

Tighter checks and registration of exceptions

Lalmohomed wants the government to establish in writing whether heavily loaded trucks are currently allowed to cross the bridge during the day and whether the previously announced restriction is still in force. If the regulation has been amended, it must be made clear, according to him, when this happened, which authority decided on it and on what grounds. This information must then be made public.

Pending this, he calls for tighter checks on both sides of the bridge. These should include checks on permitted driving times, permits, loads and the technical condition of trucks. The braking system, tyres, lighting and securing of the cargo must also be inspected.

For transport operations granted permission outside the permitted hours, he proposes a central registration system. This should record, among other things, the licence plate number, carrier, weight and nature of the cargo. The reason for the exception, as well as the authority and official who granted permission, must also be verifiable afterwards.

Independent inspection of the bridge

The parliamentarian also calls for a full technical inspection by a competent, independent expert body. This must go beyond an assessment of the road surface and also examine the structure, load-bearing capacity, expansion joints, safety facilities and the impact of heavy transport. The full inspection report must be submitted to DNA.

Furthermore, insofar as this has not yet been regulated clearly enough, he wants a safety protocol containing maximum vehicle and axle loads, permitted transport times, mandatory inspections and procedures in the event of breakdowns or technical defects.

Within thirty days, Lalmohomed is requesting an initial report to DNA on the regulations, inspection results, identified violations, exemptions granted and the planning of the technical inspection.

“We must not wait until a similar situation once again results in injuries or fatalities,” he writes. The DNA member stresses that economic activities must be able to continue without making the safety of other road users subordinate to them.