Shortage of Staff at Sonamarg Weighbridge Hits Regulation of Heavy Vehicles on Ladakh Highway
Ganderbal, Oct 10, KNT: Shortage of manpower at the weighbridge established by the Transport Department in Sonamarg has hit the regulation of heavy goods vehicles on the Ladakh Highway, particularly during night hours.
Sources said that the weighbridge was set up to check the load of trucks and other goods carriers heading towards Ladakh and to issue them a ‘Kanda Slip’ before allowing them to move beyond Sonamarg.
Under the prescribed limit, goods-laden vehicles are allowed to carry a maximum load of 18.7 tonnes. Any vehicle found exceeding this limit is fined Rs 22,000, officials said.
However, reliable sources told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that several overloaded trucks bypass the weighbridge during late-night and early-morning hours without being weighed. “This not only causes loss to the Transport Department but also increases the risk of accidents at Zojila,” they said.
Drivers have demanded that CCTV cameras be installed on both sides of the road near the weighbridge to ensure 24×7 surveillance and prevent violations.
Sources added that the issue could be addressed if the Transport Department deploys adequate staff at the weighbridge.
They further said that although the Traffic Police issues advisories for goods and passenger vehicles on the Sonamarg–Gumri route, the directions are not being fully implemented.
As per the advisory, trucks and other goods carriers are permitted to move from Sonamarg towards Kargil and Ladakh only between 11 AM and 5:30 PM, they added. [KNT]
