The Madras High Court has directed the Centre to file an affidavit with relevant documents detailing the steps taken and reviews done pursuant to its circular of January 2012 with regard to overloading of vehicles.
The Tamil Nadu government should also file an affidavit setting out the steps taken for installing vehicle weighing machines near key toll plazas and the time frame for completing the task.
The First Bench comprising the Chief Justice S.K.Kaul and Justice M.M.Sundresh was disposing of a public interest litigation petition by K.R.Ramaswamy alias ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy. The petitioner had prayed the court to consider his representation dated December 25, 2013 for curbing overloading of vehicles. He said the police and transport department officials had failed to check the problem which caused roads to deteriorate resulting in accidents. In the circular of January 2012, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had written to the Chairman, NHAI to install weighing machines and other equipment near key toll plazas on highways on a pilot basis to curb overloading and take stringent measures.
It posted the matter for April 7 for reporting compliance of the order.
