Overloading penalty linked to excess weight?

The Government has brought in a graded penalty system for overloaded vehicles plying on the national highways, claim industry sources. They mentioned that overloading penalties will range from two-to-ten times the chargeable toll depending on the extra weight that a truck is carrying. Stating that the new rules have already come into force, the sources informed that they are in contrast to the earlier rules, which involved charging 10 times the toll fee irrespective of the extent of excess load that a truck was carrying. Terming the change as a retrograde and regressive action, S P Singh, Sr. Fellow & Coordinator, Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT), drew attention to the new axle norms announced by the Government, and which have escalated the GVW of heavy-duty CVs in the 16.2- and 49-tonnes range to 18- and 55-tonnes respectively. Singh said that this amounts to gross violation of basic tenets of road safety, damage to national assets like roads, highways, bridges and further increases air pollution.