Maximum permissible weight of goods trucks fixed at 24/25 tonnes
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 17 2018:
As specified by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, a truck having 10 wheels can transport up to 25 tonnes (inclusive of the weight of the vehicle) on Imphal-Dimapur highway and 24 tonnes (including weight of the vehicle) on Imphal-Jiribam highway.
Maximum permissible tonnages of vehicles are determined according to the size, nature and number of wheels as per the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, informed a source.
Maximum permissible tonnages are fixed by MoRTH with a view to check road accidents and damages done to highways on account of transporting exceedingly heavy loads by transport vehicles.
A gazette notification was issued in this regard by MoRTH on October 18, 1996.The same notification was modified on May 26, 20 According to the modified notification, the maximum permissible tonnage for a 10-wheeled transport vehicle is 25 tonnes and it is 31 tonnes for a 12-wheeled transport vehicle Maximum permissible tonnages for transport vehicles known as semi-articulated vehicles are 26 4 tonne tonnes, 36.6 tonnes, 40.2 tonnes and 44 tonnes (inclusive of the weights of vehicles) according to the number of wheels they have.
Even though transport vehicles known as truck-trailer combination which have greater number of wheels can carry up to 45.4 tonnes and 54.2 tonnes (inclusive of the vehicles' weights), the Ministry fixed their maximum tonnage at 44 tonnes and this is clearly written in the modified notification.
The same notification should be applied to all the National Highways of the country and the State Government should ensure that it is complied with, said the source.
Notably, the State Transport Director issued a press release on January 4 specifying that the maximum permissible tonnages for 10-wheeled transport vehicles are 25 tonnes of lmphal-Dimapur highway and 24 tonnes on Imphal-Jiribam highway.