Overloading of trucks goes unchecked in state

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, March 19

Failure to check plying of overloaded trucks has become a matter of serious concern. It has not only led to fatal accidents but also damaged roads, culverts and bridges in the state.

Sources said over 30,000 trucks and dumpers transporting goods for cement plants, power projects and other business organisations ply on the national and state highways daily. There is no check on the over loading of trucks carrying cement and clinker from factories and equipment for power projects. Most of them are loaded with goods weighing between 15 to 20 tonnes in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act which caps the maximum limit at 9 tonnes.

Besides resulting in large-scale pollution, overloaded trucks damage internal link roads which are used by truckers to avoid the toll barriers. Amongst the worst affected are the Kalka- Shimla Highway (Hindustan Tibet Road), Kiratpur-Manali highway, Shimla-Kangra road, Pathankot-Mandi road, Chandigarh-Kangra road and Pathankot-Chamba highway.

The state of affairs point towards failure on part of the authorities concerned to check the problem of overloading. The weighing machines installed at different interstate barriers are either out of order or not put to use by the officials owing to rampant corruption. The machines are often not repaired. Sources said Rs 500 crore were spent annually on repair and maintenance of roads damaged by overloaded vehicles.

States such as Maharastra, Tamilnadu and Karnatka have imposed a blanket ban on the entry of over loaded trucks. A fine of Rs 10,000 is imposed on such vehicles. All interstate barriers are equipped with latest weighing machines and it is mandatory for every vehicle to pass through them. An officer of the rank of District Transport Officer mans all such interstate barriers.

Taking norms for a ride

Sources said over 30,000 trucks and dumpers transporting goods for cement plants, power projects and other business organisations ply on the national and state highways daily. There is no check on the over loading of trucks carrying cement and clinker from factories and equipment for power projects. Most of them are loaded with goods weighing between 15 to 20 tonnes in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act which caps the maximum limit at 9 tonnes.