The move aimsto stop drivers from using oversized cargo tanks following recentreports by the Vietnam Road Administration that overloaded trucksseriously damaged roads.
Thousands of billions of dongfrom the State budget have been spent to repair National Highways 1, 5and 10 as well as the Phap Van-Cau Gie and Thanh Tri Bridge routes.
In some provinces where mines and quarries, border gates and seaportsare located, heavy container trucks operating day and night havedestroyed the narrow roads.
In Hanoi, there are about 121 transport enterprises with over 850 trucks.
More than 16,170 container trucks operate nationwide with 75 percent ofthem having expanded containers to carry more cargo, according to theVietnam Register Department. Some have even renovated their containersto carry a volume of cargo three times higher than the original size.
Nguyen Hoang Linh, deputy director of Hanoi's TransportDepartment, said that after the register department approved therenovation of cargo tanks in 2012, many drivers took advantage of thedecision to carry excess cargo.
While 40-tonne trucksshould not have been allowed to be imported into the country as theywere not suitable for domestic roads, the department agreed and simplyrequired transport enterprises to carry less than 20 tonnes of cargo, hesaid. However, no authority conducts inspections to see whethertransport enterprises comply with this requirement.
Nguyen Huu Tri, deputy director of the Vietnam Register Department, saidrequiring photos of the original truck would help pinpoint violators,who would be required to cut the containers down to size on the spot.
Drivers of the thousands of trucks licensed to get theircontainers expanded before 2012 will receive certificates with stamps.These drivers will also be fined if found carrying excessive cargo.
Recently, the Vietnam Road Administration installed 63 scales nationwide to weigh trucks on highways.
The ministry is chalking out a draft decree on transport conditions,which requires that trucks with capacities higher than 10 tonnes beequipped with black box recording devices.-VNA