The government has asked the National Highways Authority of India-NHAI to install weighing machines and necessary equipment near key toll plazas on a pilot basis to curb overloading. The Road, Transport and Highways Ministry in its statement has said that National Highways, being 2 per cent of the total roads, carry 80 per cent of the cargo being plied, the agency should take strict action against truckers overloading.

NHAI has proposed to constitute a technical committee to review Weight Enforcement Stations at convenient locations about 1 to 2 km before on either sides of the toll plazas. Stressing that overloading badly damages the road infrastructure and causes huge losses to the exchequer, it said the Motor Vehicles Act in addition to penalty provides off-loading of excess load at the cost of the owner or driver.

The Ministry said that the matter has been taken up with states and in response, 25 state governments have reported to have initiated action for curbing overloading in their respective states.