PANJIM: By confiscating 20 trucks from the mining area for overloading, the department of Transport Saturday commenced its drive against overloading of trucks in the mining belts of the state. The 48-hour deadline given by the department of Transport to the mining companies for stopping overloading of trucks ended on Friday.
On the first day of its drive, the department of Transport also fined 220 trucks carrying mineral ore for other minor violations. The drive is expected to continue in future.
Ponda police on Saturday booked three truck owners from Usgao for allegedly obstructing a team of motor vehicle inspectors while discharging their duties. The incident took place when the RTO team had visited the Usgao mining belt to check overloading of mining trucks.
Based on a complaint from Assistant Director of Transport (ADT), Mr Prahlad Desai, the Ponda police registered an offence against Nilesh Shilkar, Ulas Palkar and Arun under Section 353. There were arguments between the truck owners and the ADT, who was compelled to approach the police. Sources said that the RTO on Saturday issued around 125 challans to the mining truck owners.
The Transport department has issued a new set of directions for the vehicles involved in the transportation of mining ore, which will be implemented with immediate effect. The department also proposes to use powers under the central Motor Vehicle Act so as to regulate goods transport within the state, and if needed, take stringent action including confiscating the vehicles.
The Transport department’s latest set of directions are in addition to the earlier directions issued by the High Court. The new set of rules include directions that trucks loaded at dispatch point shall carry ore only to the extent of permitted capacity, that is 10.5 tonnes for six-wheelers and 15 tonnes for 10-wheelers and adhere to the short-term measures of the High Court.
The rules maintain that mining vehicles must be dispatched from mine head/loading point or stock point in a staggered manner with minimum of one minute gap per dispatch. "No truck carrying mineral ore shall overtake another truck carrying mineral ore and shall maintain speed limit of 30 km per hour in inhabited/market areas and 50 km per hour at other places," the rules maintain, pointing out that there shall be a distance of a minimum of 100 metres between two trucks carrying mineral ore on the road.
"Loading activity shall stop a minimum of 30 minutes before 12.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. so that the timing restrictions in the High Court’s order are strictly adhered to, and furthermore, mining companies shall deploy field staff to monitor and ensure that the above conditions are strictly followed," the rules point out.
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