Lorry owners in the State affiliated to the Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners’ Association will launch a movement on July 1 against overloading of trucks. The truck owners, while pressing for better implementation of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, which prescribes the weight to be carried in goods vehicles, have also urged lorry owners in neighbouring States to join the movement.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, B Channa Reddy, president of the association, said, “There are rules stipulating the maximum load to be carried in goods vehicles, but Transport Department and Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials are not enforcing them. Instead, officials encourage overloading in exchange for bribes.”
He also levelled allegations against some lorry owners, who, he said, resorted to overloading rather than increasing freight charges to make up for rising operational costs. This, he said, pushes them into a vicious cycle as many trucks are left without any load and others are overloaded.
“They resort to unhealthy competition and quote lesser rates to get load. The tyres of the vehicle also get damaged due to overloading,” he explained.
