Government to crackdown on overloaded trucks

The HCM City Goods Transportation Association has urged the city administration to crack down on overloading by trucks since this is undermining law-abiding operators.

It called for clearly spelling out the responsibility of the police and transport inspectors at ports, industrial parks, and export processing zones, and factories, and closer co-ordination between the two.

One of the main causes is that freight charges are not properly regulated. As a result, many transport operators lower rates and try to make up by overloading.

For instance, the normal tariff for transporting a tonne of goods from the city's Districts 4 and 7 to Bien Hoa in Dong Nai Province is around VND110,000 (US$6). But truck owners charge only VND60,000 to VND70,000 and, instead, carry many times more goods than permitted.

This also has a damaging effect on infrastructure and causes a high risk of bridge collapse and accidents.

Its general secretary, Thai Van Chung, said the association has sought a commitment from transport companies not to overload.

But this is not a permanent solution, he said, pointing out that most transport businesses are not members of his association.

In fact, only around 100 companies operating 15,000 trucks, or just 30 per cent of the industry, are members, he said.

Though overloading by trucks is rampant, authorities have not taken much action, merely slapping a small fine of VND3 million ($157) and VND5 million ($261).

Le Hong Viet, deputy chief inspector in the Department of Transport, said since 2008 his agency has co-ordinated with the transport police to inspect Sai Gon Port in District 4 to check overloading.

But it has not been too effective and is time-consuming, with the inspection team only being able to inspect one or two trucks every time due to lack of personnel, he admitted.

It only caused drivers of overloaded vehicles to delay their departure until the inspection was finished, causing congestion at the entrance and leaving goods stuck in the port.

City authorities should recommend to concerned ministries to slap stronger penalties on violators, he said, adding inspectors should be given more mobile platform scales and crane trucks to enable them to weigh more vehicles.

Only the Nha Rong, Khanh Hoi, Tan Thuan 1, and Tan Thuan 2 ports now have weighbridges to check trucks' loads.