SENAPATI, June 3: Realising the seriousness of the menace of overloaded vehicles, which could create potholes and damages to precious road infrastructure, incurring huge expenses on the exchequer in repairing the roads and increasing number of road accidents due to the potholes along the National Highway – 2, the lifeline of Manipur , the Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA) has urged the driver/ owner of vehicles to strictly abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling of permissible weight limits – nine tons for six tyre vehicles and 15 tons for 10 tyres vehicle, plying along the national highway.
In its press release, the SDSA said the highway, especially between Mao and Imphal has many sinking zones, zigzags and numerous curves, the department concerned, repairing work agencies and labourers engaged in laying of bitumen on the highway find it hard to maintain work quality at times.
In spite of insurgency problems and other hindering factors, the contractors and labourers are doing their best to maintain quality work, but they often fail to, because 400-500 overloaded vehicles are plying daily along the hghway including security convoys and tankers without any checking, it said.
Road transport being a State subject, the responsibility for curbing the overloading of vehicles primarily rests with the State governments, and stringent measures should be taken up to curb overloading menace along the highway by installing Weighing Bridge at border area near Mao gate and weighing machine where it is necessary.
It also further added that repairing of roadside, drainages and construction of retaining wall are urgently needed at many portions along the Highway.