In the first nine months of this year, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport caught nearly 580,000 vehicles transporting cargos over the legal limits.

According to the ministry, more than 200 of them were impounded and over 2,000 were fined, while more than 570,000 were released for minor offences.

“A total of over 1.83 million vehicles were inspected, of which 578,103, or 31.58 per cent, were overloaded," the ministry detailed the number of cases in a report released on October 15.

"Among the overloaded vehicles, 575,856 were released, 2,247 fined and 229 impounded."

It noted that the 229 impounded vehicles had already been returned to their owners on the order of Prime Minister Hun Sen. In explaining his decision late last month, Hun Sen said the move was to bolster Cambodia’s economic recovery efforts from the damage inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ministry said authorities will continue to disseminate educational messages about the weigh regulations to the public, especially the owners of transporting firms, sand and rock depots.

It warned that the ministry's working groups will strictly enforce the law without any exception.

The ministry will also set up new weighing stations in Kep and Preah Vihear provinces and more stations will be built in other provinces as well.