The trailer of a large truck came off its fifth wheel yesterday on the Anosizato bridge. A monster scramble and serious disorders were observed.
Yesterday was the worst March 8 for many female users of National Road 1 (RN1). Stressed air, stained clothes for some, two hours late for work, forced crossing in a canoe for the very first time in their lives and lost schedule. This is what they experienced while passing through Anosizato. And it’s almost the same for men.
A big truck was driving from Antanimenakely towards the crossroads. Arriving just on the bridge, around 7:15 a.m., he almost fell into the Ikopa. His trailer loaded with general cargo came unstuck from its fifth wheel. Hearing crackling noises and noticing a sudden change in speed, the driver immediately stopped and got out to see what was happening. The tarpaulin trailer tilted to its right and stopped moving just a millimeter from the metal guardrail. The driver and his helper hurried to stall it with two jacks. They then left to seek help. Traffic officers were overwhelmed in crowd management. The bridge was black with people who piled up. Some curious people wanted to stay a while and observe the damage, which completely obstructed the passage.
Troubleshoot
The disorganization was total. The vehicles should have been able to drive on the carriageway from the other direction, towards the west, but the lane was downright overrun. They turned back to regain Ampasika and Itaosy. Cyclists lift their bicycles and pedestrians follow each other step by step. Those who resist vertigo, walk off the bridge, on a thin part, clinging to the barrier. A great opportunity to take advantage of, boatmen immediately set to work transporting people, especially following the police closed the bridge to traffic, allowing only priority vehicles such as ambulances to pass. They embarked several hundred customers with 500 ariary per person for a one-way ticket. “We stopped at the end of the morning because the truck was repaired by a mobile crane and the road reopened. I collected one hundred thousand ariary”, testifies one of the rowers. “What happened to this fellow driver is a problem that truckers often encounter, but can also be avoided. You should always check the harness before driving”, explains the Syndicate of Professional Drivers of Madagascar “Of course, the circulation of heavy goods vehicles is regulated in the urban commune of Antananarivo (CUA), but in reality, nobody respects it”, regrets an official subordinate to the AUC.