Boulders and aggregates exporters in Gelephu are calling for additional weighbridges. This comes after a private individual, who had applied to lease the land from the Gelephu Thromde to operate an additional weighing machine withdrew due to lengthy procedures. With just one weighbridge, exporters say they have to wait for long hours interrupting export and causing inconveniences. A weighbridge is a machine for weighing vehicles using a metal plate set into a road.
The export of boulders and aggregates is thriving in Gelephu. Every day, between forty to a hundred truckloads of boulders and aggregates leave for Bangladesh and India.
And with just one weighbridge, the exporters end up waiting in line for hours. They said additional weighbridges would ensure uninterrupted export of boulders and aggregates.
“In the past, we used to export 20 to 30 truckloads of boulders and aggregates. But now, sometimes it goes up to 70 to 80 truckloads. There’s only one weighbridge available. Occasionally, trucks are overloaded and they have to return to the loading site to unload the extra weight before coming back to weigh again which adds more time. Therefore, it has become imperative to install two to three more weighbridges,” said Chencho Gyeltshen, an exporter.
In a recent meeting with exporters, the thromde suggested that exporters install a weighbridge themselves at a new location, slightly farther from the existing weighbridge. However, the exporters rejected saying that it was far from the current location.
The Thromde is still waiting for proposals from interested parties to operate the weighbridge.
The existing 100 metric tonnes weighbridge located at the mini dry port along the Sarpang-Gelephu Highway was installed for Nu 2 M as part of the BCCI’s facilitation project in 2021.
The installation came after the old weighbridge operated by the regional Revenue and Customs office became defunct.
Karma Wangdi, Sarpang
Edited by Sonam Pem
