BANNU: Transporters across the country have rejected the government’s new weight policy for vehicles, terming it unfair and contrary to ground realities, and urged the Prime Minister and other relevant authorities to intervene immediately.
Speaking to the media, Goods Transport Association KP President Malik Roohullah said the new policy had increased the permissible weight limit for 10-wheeler vehicles from 27 tonnes to 35 tonnes, while the limit for 22-wheeler vehicles had been fixed at only 58 tonnes.
He described the decision as incomprehensible and disproportionate for transporters, saying that if weight limits were to be determined according to the number of wheels and the overall structure of vehicles, 22-wheeler vehicles should be allowed to carry at least 80 tonnes.
Malik Roohullah said that while the limit for 10-wheelers had been raised significantly, an unreasonable restriction had been imposed on vehicles with more wheels, creating serious difficulties for the transport sector.
He said the new policy could adversely affect the movement of freight vehicles and the transportation of goods. If transporters were required to carry more goods under lower weight limits, he added, it would not only affect business activities but also increase the cost of transporting goods.
The transport leader warned that unbalanced restrictions on the sector would directly affect the general public, as additional costs would ultimately be passed on to consumers through higher prices of essential commodities and other goods.
He urged the Prime Minister, the federal government and relevant institutions to take the concerns of transporters seriously and formulate a practical and balanced policy after consulting all stakeholders.
Malik Roohullah said that if the government failed to address their demands promptly and did not review the existing weight limits, transport associations across the country would adopt a joint course of action and would be compelled to expand their protest.
Transporters said they wanted to resolve the issue through negotiations with the government. However, they warned that if their legitimate demands were ignored, they would be forced to exercise all legal and democratic options, including protests.
