MARGAO: Assistant Director of Transport Pralhad S Dessai on Wednesday assured the Margao Salcete Truck Association that he would take action against trucks registered outside Goa found transporting material to industries in Goa and lamented that the department did not have a weigh bridge to check for overloaded trucks.
A delegation of Margao Salcete Truck Association led by president Franky Gomes and supported by the Congress Party called on the Assistant Director and presented a memorandum to him pointing out the illegalities committed against them.
They pointed out that trucks not registered in Goa are used to transport coal from MPT to three factories in Goa namely Goa Carbon, Shardha Steel and Goa Sponge though this is prohibited under the Motor Vehicles Act.
The association also complained that the trucks having 12 tyres are overloaded and transport even 40 tonnes of coal on one trip while their trucks can carry only 10 tonnes. Congress spokesperson Sidhanath Buyao appealed to take action against these trucks plying on the internal roads of Goa.
The Assistant Director Pralhad said he would initiate a drive against trucks not registered in Goa found operating on the internal roads of Goa but pleaded helplessness in taking action against overloaded trucks as the department does not have any weigh bridge.
“We have to depend upon the private owners of these bridges who sometimes allow us to use their bridge and sometimes do not,” he said.
The truck owners while disclosing that a vessel loaded with coal is due to arrive at MPT on 7th August urged the transport officials to ensure that no trucks with outside registration are permitted to transport the coal to units in Goa.
“It they are taking the material outside Goa, we have no objection,” said treasurer Vallabh Varad adding that only Goa registered trucks should be used to transport material from MPT to units in Goa.
