The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) discovered elaborate and systematic bribery and kickback schemes across the Indian border to avoid being stopped and fined for overloaded consignments.
Today every vehicle carries boulders beyond their carrying capacity. Truckers say there is a better profit by paying to the motor vehicle inspectors in India than merely carrying loads as per the carrying capacity of the trucks. Otherwise, it’s a great loss.
After the ACC’s recent notification on strict enforcement of Road Safety and Transport Act 1999 on overloaded trucks carrying boulders to Bangladesh, over three hundred trucks were stranded in Phuentshogling. The section 68 of Road safety and Transport Act 1999 says “A person must not drive or allow a motor vehicle to be driven on a highway if the vehicle is carrying a load which is in excess of the manufacturers’ specifications (overloaded) for that type of vehicle or it exceeds the gross vehicle weight for the vehicle.”
With their trucks stranded by RSTA, truckers are hoping for the government to intervene.
“We will remain thankful if the vehicles loaded on Friday be allowed to move today or tomorrow. Some of them have already unloaded it but still over two hundred trucks are still stranded here. The truckers association remains hopeful that the government will help us,” Tshewang Rinzin, representative, Truckers Association, Phuentshogling, said.
“We request the government to look into our pleas. If we do not carry more than the permissible loads then exporters will run into a loss. As a driver, I have a family to look after and I feel ashamed of asking for my salary also. Once exporters are affected, we drivers are affected equally,” Pema Wangchuk, Driver, Phuentshogling, said.
“When these many trucks are stranded here, it affects everyone of us. The trucks are all bought on loan and we fail to pay loan on time. We also face difficulty in paying our staffs on time. Last time, nearly 20 of our trucks were stranded at Gelegphu too. We brought them here and now when we face similar problem here too, it affects everyone in the business,” Sonam Jamtsho, trucker, Phuentshogling, said.
RSTA says the stranded trucks can only move out if they offload their consignment and carry as per the carrying capacity. The law implementing agencies have already started to apply these regulations strictly to every vehicle coming in and out of the country. Exporters say the move will hamper the economy.
