VietNamNet Bridge – Transport firms could grind to a halt if they can't upgrade their semi-trailer trucks to meet new regulations by the end of the year.

The Ministry of Transport handed down a regulation forcing transport firms to increase the size of their double-axle trucks from 26 tonnes to 33 tonnes and triple-axle trucks to 38 tonnes. — Photo thanhnien

The Ministry of Transport handed down a regulation forcing transport firms to increase the size of their double-axle trucks from 26 tonnes to 33 tonnes and triple-axle trucks to 38 tonnes.

Businesses must modify 6,000 out of 7,100 trucks before January, but few have managed to achieve this yet, said Le Van Tien, chairman of the Hai Phong Transport Association.

The new rules have been introduced to help firms make more money by transporting more goods, and stop them from overloading their vehicles to make ends meet.

When firms illegally modify trucks so that they can be overloaded, they have been found to cause more accidents and road damage.

It is claimed that the regulation will also help save the State money it would spend on repairing roads damaged by overloaded trucks.

Tien said complicated procedures, large expenses and bad communications between Government offices had prevented truck companies from finishing modifications in time.

Registry offices must examine and certify the vehicles before they can be used on the road, but the Viet Nam Register Authority under the Ministry of Transport needs to send offices instructions on how to check the vehicles.

Many registry office directors said they had not yet received instructions from the authority, Tien said.

But the deputy director of the authority, Nguyen Huu Tri, said instructions had been handed down to all registry offices. He said the authority would check again to see if the instructions were received.

Transport company owner Doan Thanh Ha said that if the authority could not work effectively with its offices, he could not run his business and pay back his debts.

Le Dinh Tho, deputy minister of Transport, asked the Viet Nam Register Authority to deal with concerns raised by transport companies.

Between last December and this August, a State mobile weighing force measured 200,000 trucks at weighing stations, fined 40,000 overloaded trucks a total of VND 125 billion (US$5.95 million) and revoked 23,100 driving licences.

VNS/VNN