The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has increased the loading capacity for trucks and heavy commercial vehicles first time in a period of 35 years. As per the new norms, loading capacity will increase by 15 - 25 per cent for different categories of trucks and heavy commercial vehicles.
The reason behind the same is to give a boost to the logistics sector. Of late, there has been a crackdown on overloaded commercial vehicles, and with these new measures, the authorities hope to see better compliance to the norms. Reports suggest that those found violating these new norms may have to pay as much as 10x the present penalties.
These norms will be reportedly applicable for new commercial vehicles and there is no confirmation if older vehicles will be covered under the same. Industry is said to have mixed reaction towards these new norms. Major truck makers like Ashok Leyland and Tata are expected to witness a fall in their CV sales if in case the new norms cover older commercial vehicles as well.
On the new norms, Pirojshaw Sarkari, CEO, Mahindra Logistics said, “We welcome the central government’s decision to enhance the maximum axle load of heavy vehicles. This hike will increase loadability by 20-25%. The timing is also perfect as now the highways as well as arterial roads have improved considerably. Today, most trucks in the country are running with lower capacities. Their engines are equipped to carry much more. This move will help in capacity utilisation and will provide a huge fillip to the logistics sector. We and our business partners are looking forward to its successful implementation. This measure will undoubtedly reduce the cost of logistics and improve the overall Logistics Performance Index of India.”
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