Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt led a team of city officials and highway police in a crackdown on overweight trucks leaving major construction sites late Thursday night.
Two trucks were found to weigh 34 and 28 tonnes, exceeding the 25-tonne gross weight legal limit. The two drivers were fined 1,000 baht each at the scene and were released on bail of 20,000 baht each.
The crackdown follows an incident on Wednesday morning when a ten-wheel truck, laden with soil collected from a construction site, fell into a hole after it ran over metal sheets covering an electrical conduit installation trench, in the middle of in-bound Sukhumvit Road near the entrance to Soi 64/1. A motorcyclist and a motorist behind the truck were injured and the accident caused the closure of three lanes of the busy road. The truck was removed yesterday.
The governor admitted that the city lacks manpower and experienced officials to check overweight trucks, so they have sought help from the highway police, adding that the crackdown will also help reduce air pollution.
Meanwhile, the driver of the truck which fell into the hole was charged with reckless driving causing injuries to two people and driving a vehicle with a gross weight exceeding the 25-tonne limit.
A weighing machine, borrowed from the Highways Department, was brought to Phra Khanong police station yesterday, to measure the gross weight of the truck. It was found to weigh around 37 tonnes.
Pol Col Witthawat Chinkham, deputy commander of the 5th division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said that they will ask the court to confiscate the truck in question.
He also said that the truck’s owner could face charges as well, if it is discovered that he consented to the driver carrying a load which took the gross weight of the vehicle over the legal limit.
Regarding the sticker on the truck, which featured the letter “B”, the truck’s owner claimed that “B” is his nickname and it is an identifier so his trucks can enter construction sites.
