Ban on trucks carrying loads 1 metre beyond rear end takes effect

Tadong Police Outpost personnel stop a goods carrier at Convoy Ground on 01 July for carrying iron rods protruding more than a metre beyond the rear end of the carrier.
GANGTOK, 01 July: Goods carriers, mainly trucks and other heavy vehicles are now banned from carrying construction materials such as iron rods and poles which extend up to 1 metre beyond the rear end of the particular vehicle. A notification endorsing this has been issued by the Transport Department; this was primarily the result of a public interest litigation filed in the high court of Sikkim challenging the provision which allowed goods carriers to carry such construction material.
Constructions materials such as iron rods and poles which extend beyond the rear end of a good carrying vehicle are known to have been the cause of thousands of accidents and deaths across India.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued a notification on 05 March, 2014, by which it withdrew the provision in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 which allowed goods carriers to extend their load consisting of poles or rods or indivisible load. Trucks could now carry such loads only “…so long as the projecting part or parts do not exceed the distance of 1 metre beyond the rear most point of the motor vehicle”.
The SNT has already issued letters to Senior Regional Transport Officer, East and RTOs of other districts for their information and necessary action. Letters and notices were also issued to the Truck Owners’ and Truck Drivers’ Associations by the SNT for compliance; besides this letters were issued to President, Truck Owners’ and President, Truck Driver cum Owner Association informing that proviso to sub rule (8) of Rule 93 of the CMV Rules had been omitted and further that henceforth no load should extend beyond the size of the body of the vehicle.
On the other hand the DGP has also issued directions to all District SPs and the DIG (Range) for strict compliance to the rules and furthermore, all police officers including SDPOs, SHOs traffic field officers and all police outposts and check posts have been sensitized on the matter and to take strict action in case of any violation by the goods carriers.
Save Life Foundation, New Delhi which had filed the PIL also sought that this notification be given immediate effect in the state of Sikkim. In light of the notification issued by the Union Ministry and the letter petition submitted, the High Court had sought a compliance report from the concerned department,
On 09 May, the last date of hearing, the state Transport Department filed its compliance report which the division bench of the High Court took on record. The court had further asked the action taken report and proposed action to be taken by the Director General of Police by way of an affidavit within a period of three weeks.