Despite NHAI order, toll plazas sans system to check overloading

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 27

Even as Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered a crackdown on speeding and overloaded vehicles, the 10 toll plazas in the state have failed to install the mandatory weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems to check overloading of vehicles.

In Jalandhar alone, six deaths were reported in the last three months involving overloaded tippers. Of these five were reported in the last 48 hours. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), in its policy formulated in 2014, had banned the entry of overloaded vehicles on national highways. It had also directed toll plazas to install the WIM systems in each toll lane and one static weigh bridge in each direction even if such provision did not exist in their concession agreement.

The operators were asked to bear the cost from the fine (10 times the toll fee) collected from the overloaded vehicles. Even after two years, none of the toll plazas has installed such a system, while many in Haryana, including the one at Shambhu barrier, have installed it.

Tthe NHAI authorities claimed that due to the ongoing widening of the highways, the project got delayed.

“We will soon direct the toll operators to install the WIM systems and also motion sensors to check speeding vehicles. While we have installed such systems at some toll plazas in Haryana, we will soon begin the project in Punjab,” said an NHAI official.

The situation has worsened after the Congress government abolished the post of District Transport Officer. While the SDMs are waiting for the orders to take charge, the police are finding it difficult to tighten the noose around speeding and overloaded vehicles.

The directive

There are 10 toll plazas in the state, but none of them has installed the weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems to check overloading of vehicles. In 2014, the NHAI had banned the plying of overloaded vehicles on the national highways. It had also directed toll plazas to install the WIM systems in each toll lane and one static weigh bridge in each direction

Spate of road accidents

March 25: Four killed in Barnala after a speeding Orbit bus hit their vehicle; a woman Sub Inspector was killed in a hit-and-run mishap 

March 26: Four killed when a speeding milk tanker collided with a modified Force Trax Cruiser near Maur Mandi; Three of a family died on the spot when an overloaded tipper fell on their car near PAP Chowk in Jalandhar; A police constable died after a vehicle overloaded with tomatoes fell on him at a check post in Paragpur area in Jalandhar