Load rule for cargo vehicles in offing

KATHMANDU: The government is preparing to restrict the movement of overloaded cargo carriers across the country to keep the roads in good shape and minimise traffic accidents. In this regard, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) is all set to introduce a guideline fixing load capacity of such vehicles. Heavy vehicles carrying loads more than its gross vehicle weight (GVW) will be required to destock the materials or pay a fine, according to officials at the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) that drafted the guideline. GVW is the maximum permitted weight for vehicles.


The new rule in offing has targeted to reduce the height of trippers and trucks’ trailers that are normally involved in ferrying construction materials. Similarly, the government will make it mandatory for large cargo vehicles to limit their load at customs offices before leaving for their destinations. DoTM officials said that vehicles manufactured for carrying a maximum 16.5 tonnes of goods have been found to be transporting as much as 25 tonnes.

Sarad Adhikari, technical director of DoTM, said that once MoPIT approves the guideline, they will strictly implement it. “Vehicles like trippers must limit their trailer height to reduce their load and have to carry load sheets when transporting goods,” he said. The government plans to measure weights of vehicles at weighbridges and if found carrying more goods than mentioned on the load sheets, the vehicles will have to destock.

The directive is being introduced as per Clause 45 of Good Governance (Management and Operation) Act 2064. The guideline will fix load capacity based on axle load type and wheel combinations of vehicles, decide on maintaining weighbridges mainly in three locations of trade routes, and come up with types of actions to be taken. Officials at MoPIT said that the guideline had focused more on operation of weighbridges than on axle load control.

“Since our secretary is on a foreign tour, we will be deciding about the directive after he joins office,” said Nabin Pokhrel, senior divisional engineer at MoPIT.

Motor Vehicle Transport Management Act and its regulation hold DoTM as the main authority to control overloading.

Since the beginning of this year, when the government started tightening the screws on cargo carriers, the private sector has been asking that heavy vehicles be allowed to move at least in industrial corridors. They say that load control will increase transportation charge, which will hike cost of production and price of commodities.

In December last year, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority had also instructed MoPIT and DoTM to control movement of overloaded vehicles. Citing that heavily loaded construction material carriers are one of the main reasons behind deteriorating conditions of road, DoTM had also instructed trucks and trippers to reduce the height of their trailers four years ago. However, the instruction had not been implemented effectively.

Adhikari said that based on the fresh instructions issued earlier this year, many vehicles that carry construction materials started to reduce the height of their trailers from mid-April this year. - See more at: http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Load+rule+for+cargo+vehicles+in+offing&NewsID=414253#sthash.5DGeF6Bq.dpuf