The Motor Vehicles Department, Office of the Transport Commissioner Nagaland has drawn attention to overloading on highways and roads, stating that that it is becoming a complex issue of concern in the state and ordering for penalisation of up to Rs 20,000 for defaulters.

The department issued a press statement through the DIPR pointing out that overloading of heavy vehicles causes not only “damage to our road infrastructure, and rapid deterioration of roads resulting in increased maintenance and transportation costs, especially in the State where most of the roads lack quality but also increasing the possibility of unnecessary loss of life.”

Overloading Risks and Threats to Road Safety

Overloaded vehicles contribute to several fatal road accidents, putting not only the driver at risk but also the passengers and other road users, stated the department.

It highlighted the following risks of overloading and threats to road safety:

• The vehicle is reduced in its stability, difficult to steer and takes longer to stop, and reacts differently when the maximum weights which they are designed to carry are exceeded.
• Overloaded vehicles can cause the tyres to overheat and wear rapidly which increases the chance of premature, dangerous, and expensive failure or blow-outs.
• The driver’s control and operating space in the overloaded vehicle are diminished, escalating the chances of an accident.
• An overloaded vehicle cannot accelerate normally thus making it difficult to overtake
• At night, the headlights of an overloaded vehicle tilt up and this can be momentarily blinding to oncoming drivers.
• Brakes have to work harder because the vehicle is heavier due to overloading. Brakes overheat and lose their effectiveness to stop.
• The whole suspension system comes under stress and, over time, the weakest point can give way and can lead to traffic obstruction.
• The overloaded vehicle will incur higher maintenance costs to the vehicle – tyres, brakes, shock absorbers, and higher fuel consumption.

The MV Department, for the purpose of general public safety and awareness, has informed that “any officer of the Motor Vehicles Department authorized on this behalf by the State Government shall, if he has reason to believe that a goods vehicle or trailer is being used in contravention of section 113 of the MV Act, 1988 require the driver to convey the vehicle to a weighing device, if any, within a distance of ten kilometers from any point on the forward route or within a distance of twenty kilometers from the destination of the vehicle for weighment”.

The department further stated that upon weighment, if the vehicle “is found to contravene in any respect the provisions of section 113 regarding weight”, the officer can “by order in writing, direct the driver to off-load the excess weight at his own risk and not to remove the vehicle or trailer from that place until the laden weight has been reduced or the vehicle or trailer has otherwise been dealt with so that it complies with section 113”.

The driver is expected to comply with the directions on “on receipt of such notice”, the department added.

The MV Department also stated that overloaded vehicles can be fined a minimum of Rs 20,000 and Rs 2,000 per excess tonne:

“In the exercise of powers conferred under Section 200 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1989 as amended by the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act 2019, the Government of Nagaland vide Notification No. TPT/MV/3/2013 Dated 12th November has empowered Officers not below the rank of Assistant Road Safety and Enforcement Inspector under the Motor Vehicle Department and Sub-Inspector of Police under Police Department either before or after the institution of the prosecution offenses committed under Section 194 of MV Act 1988 with Fine of minimum Rs.20, 000/- and Rs.2,000/- per excess tonne, and liability to pay for overloading.”