The increase in the permissible truck axle load for existing vehicles and new vehicles hitting the road and the decision not to check container lorries at the checkposts of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) in the State have raised safety concerns in the wake of the Avinashi road accident which claimed 19 lives. The amendments were made by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to increase the carrying capacity of goods vehicles by 20 to 25% and lower logistics costs by about two per cent.
The amendments, aimed at promoting commercial transport in the country, also lay down that the gross vehicle weight (GVW) should not exceed the total permissible safe axle weight.
In the absence of adequate enforcement of rated load compliance in the road corridors, official sources say practice of overload by heavy vehicles plying in the State and operating on the inter-State corridor is a serious road safety threat.
Upgraded tyres
Higher loads on heavy vehicles require upgraded tyres and new specifications of the axles. The existing heavy vehicles on the road are not certified for safety with the higher-axle loads, it has been pointed out. These overloaded vehicles may not be able to meet the mandatory braking and steering performance requirements as they are designed only for the Registered Laden Weight (RLW).
“This is a serious concern and the policymakers should take a look into the amendment of the rule by MoRTH to increase the axle load that is being misused by truck operators. The wear and tear caused to the roads is also being ignored,” the official said. The decision at the government level not to carry out checking of container lorries at the checkposts is also turning out to be a threat to the road users.
A top MVD official admitted that the checking of container lorries for fitness of the vehicle, driver and goods and whether they were overloaded had been stopped.
“The checking of these trucks were stopped on the basis of the complaints that checking leads to delay of transport of goods to International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam and to Tuticorin,” he said. At present, only verification of papers is being carried out at the checkposts.
With the roll-out of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) in the country, these trucks neither stop at the GST checkposts nor at the checkposts of the Excise Department. It is only on tip-off that they are stopped at the checkposts.