Weighbridge goes inoperative 2 weeks after installation

The weighbridge under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) for controlling load in Mirzar Court area of Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway in Patgram upazila under the district went inoperative two weeks after its installation in November 2014, leaving the road vulnerable to damage under the pressure of overloaded vehicles.

The apparatus, set up for checking load of vehicles on the highway, was removed from the spot in early January last year but no initiative was taken to repair it or install a new one.

As per declaration, a two-axle truck weighing 15 tonne with goods, a three-axle truck weighing 22 tonnes with goods and a four-axle truck weighing 30 tonnes with goods can move on the highway.

But in absence of monitoring, trucks carrying goods with double or more than the stipulated weight regularly move there.

Locals alleged that a section of RHD officials deliberately made the weigh bridge inoperative to give undue facility of running overloaded trucks on the highway in exchange of 'illegal benefits' from a syndicate of traders and truck owners at Burimari land port in Patgram upazila,.

"It is necessity to keep the RHD weighbridge operative to check overload for longevity of the important highway," said Manjurul Islam, 50, a resident of Mirzar Court village in Patgram upazila.

Mobarak Ali, a truck driver at Burimari land port, said they had to face 'trouble' for transporting overloaded goods when the RHD weigh bridge was operative for two weeks in November 2014.

Now 400 to 450 trucks loaded with import and export goods daily move on the road, and most of the vehicles are overloaded, he said.

Over a year ago, the RHD took a central programme for installing weighbridges on different highways of the country, official sources said.

Denying the allegation of RHD officials' involvement in making the weighbridge inoperative, RHD Section Officer in Lalmonirhat Rasheduzzaman said, "The weighbridge went inoperative due to mechanical fault. Other machines installed for weighbridge operation on different highways also went inoperative as the contractor concerned delivered faulty machines."

RHD Executive Engineer in Lalmonirhat Abdul Halim admitted that running of overloaded vehicles affects the important road.

"I sent a letter to the higher authorities concerned regarding the matter a month ago. But we are still waiting for their response," he said.