Public works ministry officers check overloaded trucks in Kandal and Kampong Speu provinces on Friday. PUBLIC WORKS MINISTRY
The joint task force for inspecting trucks suspected of being overloaded has stopped and fined 14 offenders that violated the weight regulation on national roads 1 and 44 and Street 70B after three days of operations. Eight of the vehicles would be impounded for a year.
According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the task force carried out the mobile operations on August 16-17 and 20.
“Of the 14 vehicles, six were fined and the cargo confiscated, while the other eight would be impounded for one year for transporting loads 20 per cent more than the legal limit,” the ministry said.
Taing Pov, head of the ministry’s secretariat, said that on August 16-17 the task force on National Road 44 in Kampong Speu province’s Samrong Tong district and on Street 70B in Kandal province’s Khsach Kandal district fined nine trucks with five impounded.
On August 20, the force on National Road 1 in Svay Rieng province’s Svay Chrum district and Prey Veng province’s Preah Sdech district pulled over five more trucks, three of which were impounded for one year.
“The eight trucks will be impounded for one year in accordance with Article 60 of the road traffic law and prakas No 049 on tightening additional measures on heavy vehicles on roads,” he said.
Pov repeated the ministry’s warning to transport companies and heavy vehicle owners that the law will be strictly applied without exception.
Kong Sovann, a public health specialist and director of the International Safety Fund Programme, told The Post that to prevent road offences, especially overloaded vehicles, police had to maintain law enforcement.
He said overloaded vehicles present a constant danger on roads. They are detrimental to people and only benefit a handful of individuals. The ministry’s action serves as a wake-up call to all transport firms, he said.
“Overloaded trucks damage roads and repairs are paid for by the state budget. Those trucks also cause traffic accidents resulting in deaths, serious injuries and disabilities. Each year sees nearly 5,000 injuries and nearly 2,000 deaths. The trucks cause potholes which are also a traffic hazard and cause accidents,” he said.
