Delhi cops crack whip on trucks with protruding rods

In a special drive that started on Tuesday at the borders, dangerous items such as rods were unloaded from 23 trucks. 45 heavy vehicles were fined for overloading between 10.30 pm and 4 am.

The Delhi Traffic Police has begun a crackdown on commercial vehicles that are overloaded or have dangerous articles protruding from them.

Rods jutting out are a threat to commuters. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

In a special drive that started on Tuesday at the borders, dangerous items such as rods were unloaded from 23 trucks. 45 heavy vehicles were fined for overloading between 10.30 pm and 4 am.

Last year in Delhi, 15 people died after being hit by trailers with dangerous, protruding items and 26 died after ramming stationary trucks.

“These trucks are among the biggest dangers in a highway. The rods protrude from the trucks and since most stretches are not very well lit , the chances of cars and other small vehicles barging into them increase,” said a senior traffic official.

He said truck owners should be held for gross negligence. “All that they care about is the consignments. There is no precaution that they take. In fact, when they enter the city it is a bigger danger as these trucks move with thousands of smaller vehicles,” he said.

The drivers were fined under the Motor Vehicle Act (1988) for driving overweight vehicles and their licence is suspended for a month. Licence can be recovered after paying a `100-fine at any district court.

On Saturday, the Supreme Court criticised the ministry of road transport and highway for not establishing clear guidelines to prevent accidents due to protrusions from trailers and trucks.

The issue was taken up in a public interest litigation filed by a road safety NGO, SaveLife Foundation.

The petition said thousands in the country died by ramming stationary trucks on highways, and due to accidents caused by overloaded trucks.

“Keeping in mind the Indian roads and traffic conditions, provisions that have permitted these trucks to imperil the lives of thousands of motorists should be removed,” the petition filed by the NGO read.