Sirmaur highway heist: Transport officials crack code of overload syndicate

The persistent menace of overloading continues unabated in Sirmaur district, despite repeated crackdowns by the Transport Department and local police. In the latest action, authorities intercepted two suspicious trailers near Juddo ka Johar on the Paonta Sahib highway and issued challans totalling nearly Rs 3 lakh.

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According to officials, one of the vehicles (HR58E-3030) was found overloaded with gravel, while another vehicle (HR58E-1010) — having only a cabin and chassis — was towing the heavily loaded trailer. Upon closer inspection, officers uncovered a shocking tactic: the number plates of the two vehicles had been swapped. The front vehicle bore the registration plate of the rear one and vice versa, in an attempt to evade enforcement.

When the transport team asked for documents, both drivers fled the scene and disappeared into a nearby forest. During a subsequent search, officials recovered papers from the chassis-only vehicle that revealed clear violations of transport rules. Notably, this vehicle had already been fined Rs 2.42 lakh for overloading in a previous case. This time, it was penalised an additional Rs 89,000, while the overloaded trailer incurred a fine of Rs 2.12 lakh.

Crucially, the driver of the overloaded truck failed to present a weigh slip and Form X — both mandatory for transporting mining material. The absence of these documents confirmed not only a breach of transport and mining regulations but also suggested potential revenue loss to the state exchequer.

Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Sona Chauhan, who was present at the scene, stated, “This is the first time we’ve encountered a chassis-only trailer towing a fully loaded vehicle with no mechanical fault. The lack of Form X and a weigh slip points to illegal transportation of mining material.”

She added, “This is exactly why the department stresses the use of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP), which must be riveted, not attached with ordinary screws. Riveted HSRPs help prevent tampering and are a key tool in curbing vehicle-related fraud.”

Interestingly, shortly after the transport team left the site, the absconding drivers returned. They abandoned the chassis and attempted to flee with the overloaded truck, but were intercepted in Kala Amb before they could cross into Haryana. An additional Rs 40,000 fine was imposed and collected on the spot.

Just two days before this operation, transport officials had seized two trailers using the same registration number and recovered four fake plates. Meanwhile, police have detained 21 overloaded tippers and deployed special personnel to guard them following an earlier incident involving the theft of a seized tipper in Kala Amb.

The increasing frequency and sophistication of such violations point to a larger illegal transport network — one that not only endangers public safety but also drains valuable revenue from the government.