Transporters ask govt: check overloading

MUMBAI: In a surprising reversal of roles, the apex body for transporters in the city has requested the government to crack down on overloaded vehicles.Bombay Goods Transport Association (BGTA) has requested the state to stop “legalising” overloaded trucks in keeping with a recent supreme court order.

According to the BGTA, the state transport department should stop issuing tokens that officially allow overloading by heavy vehicles.

The association, which represents 1,200 transporters in the city, has said that the Registered Laden Weight (RLW) and the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of the truck—the specified limits for carrying freight—must comply with the figures specified by the Central Motor Vehicle Act.

Right now, overloading is legalised as the state earns substantial revenue through tokens. But Mohinder Singh Dua, president of BGTA, said a November 9 apex court judgment directing states “not to legalise the offence of overloading by issuing tokens” should be implemented in toto.

“The supreme court’s judgment should be adhered to as it would ensure safety on highways and better business for transporters,” said Dua.By ‘better business’, Dua means the per kilometre, per tonne cost of carriage will rise 25% if the state ensures that trucks carry only sanctioned load.

“A company that stuffs cargo in five trucks would have to hire 10 if overloading is not permitted. Moreover, fixed costs like toll tax and fuel bill on the fleet doing the trip will go up,” he explains.

Girish Agarwal, general secretary of BGTA, said the SC judgment asking states to unload excess cargo and impose fines on the transporters violating norms is an effective provision to stop overloading.

“Let the state government earn through fines in case a truck is overloaded. The consignor, the party loading the truck, would have to share the penalty for stuffing the truck beyond limit,” he said.

In fact, BGTA has also been asking corporates and consignors in general not to push for overloading trucks with the intention of saving money. “The party loading the truck should desist from over-loading,” says Agarwal.Thankfully, BGTA office-bearers are candid enough to admit that the transporters are equally to blame for overloading, even if is at the loading consignors’ behest.

“Smaller players accept overloading due to stiff competition amongst transporters,” says Dua. BGTA has already had meetings with director general of police P S Pasricha and highway police officials to discuss implementation of the court judgment to stop legalised overloading.