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Judgment
The concern of the petitioner in the present public interest litigation pertains to the implementation of the rules as to the maximum weight governing goods vehicles. According to the petitioner, there are rules to ensure that goods vehicles adhere to certain maximum weight limits, but there is no implementation or enforcement of such rules in the State.
Considering the hilly terrain here and the heavy rainfall that the State experiences, it is absolutely imperative that goods vehicles adhere to the weight norms that may have been fixed. Further, the State should revisit the norms as to weight to ensure that the already precarious conditions of the roads due to the rains do not worsen as a result of overladen goods vehicles plying the highways.
It is fairly submitted on behalf of the State that appropriate facilities may not be in place for weighing goods vehicles in transit upon the police or traffic personnel suspecting a vehicle to be carrying more weight than permissible. The State should make use of the existing weigh-bridges and, possibly, install additional weigh-bridges at key places, particularly close to the entry points in the State and at several places midway. Adequate number of personnel should also be deployed to ensure that goods vehicles using the State’s roads adhere to the weight restrictions in accordance with law.
The State should file a report when the matter appears next three months hence, indicating the measures taken to effectively implement the existing rules pertaining to the permissible weight of goods vehicles plying in the State.
List on September 21, 2022.