The enforcement drive against tipper lorries and goods carriers that illegally alter height of the load body to carry overload is set to resume after a lull, with the Kerala High Court on Wednesday granting two weeks to the government to file an affidavit as to whether the same has been permitted in the case of Taurus tippers.
The directive came on a petition filed by Anoop K.A. and Subin Paul, president and secretary of the All Kerala Truck Owners Association, arraying, among others, the Transport Secretary and the Transport Commissioner as respondents in a contempt of court petition.
The court in November had sought details of goods vehicles and drivers against whom enforcement agencies had taken action for carrying overload. It had also sought details of the action taken against such vehicles that operated without displaying registration number, on a similar contempt petition filed by the truck owners’ association.
The court intervention comes even as violation of rules are on the rise, says a senior Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) official. “They include manifold safety issues, including danger to pedestrians and other motorists, and the damage caused to roads by such illegally altered goods carriers, mainly tipper lorries. We hope the enforcement drive will gain momentum in the wake of the court intervention.”
MVD officials say they are often forced to go slow on action against rule violations as many operators have politicians supporting them, who in turn will malign the officials leading the drive. “Some also prevail on the lorry operators who have been challaned not to pay the penalty amount.”
There have been instances of tipper lorries permitted to carry 15 tonnes carrying 30 tonnes or even more of cargo. They thus deny business to other operators, they say.
Rule violators, sometimes, target MVD officials as the police mostly impose a much-lesser penalty of ₹250 for overload, whereas MVD personnel impose penalty on the basis of every additional tonne that a lorry is found carrying, which often goes up to ₹25,000 or sometimes even more, it is learnt.
Smaller goods carriers under the light commercial vehicle category too are increasingly resorting to overloading, throwing safety to the wind, , say the sources.
