VietNamNet Bridge – Transport Minister Dinh La Thang has asked police and localities not to fine vehicles violating axle load restrictions or those that exceed permitted loads by less than 10 per cent.

Illustrative image. – File photo

These changes in enforcing road weight regulations were to go into effect on July 1.

The move is among the ministry's responses to complaints by transport firms, following three months of enforcing rules to tighten control of vehicle loads.

Director of Ha Noi-based Hoang Gia Transport Company, Hong Quang Ngoc, said there were differences between the criteria being used to identify vehicle loads, as outlined by Viet Nam Vehicle Registration and the Transport Ministry's circular on vehicle loads, particularly for trailers and semi trailers.

According to the circular, five-axle trailers are allowed to carry 40 tonnes of goods, while six-axle trailers can transport 48 tonnes.

Further, Ngoc questioned the rules set down by the Viet Nam Registration, as many of his company's trailers had been fined for overloading cargo.

He urged authorities to issue clear and detailed criteria as a reference for companies, such as his, so they might avoid violations.

Further, the director of Sai Gon New Port Company said that many goods owners took advantage of the night hours to deliver goods so they might avoid inspections.

Currently, most inspections of truck loads are being conducted during daylight hours.

Also, Chairman of Hai Phong City's Transport Firms' Association, Le Van Tien, said transport firms faced difficulties because of inconsistent regulations.

He noted that the loads for vehicles that vehicle registration offices granted were lower than the actual loads many vehicles were designed to carry.

"That is the reason why many trucks fail to carry containers of imported goods, causing a large amount of goods to back up at ports," he said.

Deputy Transport Minister Le Dinh Tho said many problems arose during the enforcement of checking the loads being carried by trucks.

The problems included a lack of information among transport firms and goods owners, as well as not having enough staff members and facilities to detect and punish violators. Particularly, many provinces faced difficulties in providing locations for monitoring and installing scales to weigh trucks.

In the last three months, over 16,000 violations of overloaded trucks were reported, according to officials.

The axle load of a wheeled vehicle is considered to be the total weight placed on the roadway from all wheels connected to a given axle. Viewed another way, it is the fraction of the total vehicle weight resting on a given axle.

Axle loads are an important design consideration in the engineering of roadways and railways, as both are designed to tolerate a maximum weight-per-axle load. Exceeding the maximum rated axle load will cause damage to roadways and rail tracks.

VNS/VNN