Although on the ports and roads there are scales to control the weight of cargo transport and avoid damage to the asphalt, not everyone complies with the disposition and no sanctions are imposed, they say carriers. However, in the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) it is ensured that the norm is efficient and will even be invested in more scale.
The CIV has the Government Agreement 370-2010, regulation for the control of weights and dimensions of cargo motor vehicles and their combinations, but little is known about its results and the fines imposed.
According to Aldo García, former Minister of Communications during the Jimmy Morales government, there is no efficient scale system that allows regulating the weight of all load transport.
Garcia mentions some of the scales that work, including kilometer 292 of the route to the Atlantic, in Puerto Barrios, Izabal; that of kilometer 16 on that same route, and that of kilometer 28 of the route to the Pacific, in the jurisdiction of Amatitlán. In 2019, the CIV installed scales in both lanes of the Belize bridge, in the capital, but never worked, due to administrative disagreements with the capital commune.
The scales to measure the weight of cargo transport are installed at soil level, which allows we to weigh the moving trucks or during a brief detention.
The former CIV statement states that during his administration he noticed that in previous governments companies were hired to grant the service, but they were not effective, because the procedures must be met, such as establishing a garrita from where the staff can monitor the weight electronically.
If the vehicle exceeds 60 tons, which is the maximum weight for cargo transport, the CIV personnel must order the driver to download the surplus merchandise. If the order does not comply with and tries to flee, Provial’s staff can retain it while notifying the National Civil Police (PNC), he said.
On who should issue and collect the fines, Garcia says that, “theoretically,” is the general direction of roads, because there is the unit control unit and measures. However, it does not have a cash unit to pay the fine.
“They only attract them attention because there is no way to collect the fine,” he said.
He adds that, although private companies use their own scales, when they deliver wholesale merchandise – mainly construction material – the client charges trucks as it suits, to avoid further freight, without going through control.
Port control
Leonel Molina, executive director of the National Port Commission, explained that in the maritime terminals the weight of the vans is verified at the time of being loaded in the ships, in order to guarantee the proper balance and prevent incidents in navigation. However, it is up to the CIV to supervise that vehicles comply with the weight limits allowed to circulate by road.
Héctor Fajardo, director of the Central American Chamber of Transporters (Catransca), argues that the deficiency is that not all roads installed on the road are enabled.
“The vehicles that do the most damage to the asphalt folder are the trucks of two or three axes, because sometimes they put a lot of weight, mainly construction material,” he said.
“There are sunk roads everywhere, where you can see the tire marks, and that happens because there is excess weight, due to poor quality of the material that apply or due to bad compaction,” he added.
The carrier says that there is currently no entity that mullets for breaking the regulation; Only the vehicle stops so that it does not continue and urges to eliminate overweight.
The fines
According to article 18 of the Law of Pesos, to the offenders of the provisions of these regulations, the following sanctions will be imposed for each step in fixed control stations and in operations with mobile scale, for exceeding the authorized vehicle weights, in the following way:
101 to 500 kilograms: Q200.00
501 to 1,000 kilograms: Q500.00
From 1,001 to 1,500 kilograms: Q750.00
From 1,501 to 2,000 kilograms: Q1,000.00
2,001 to 2,500 kilograms: Q1,500.00
Of 2,501 kilograms onwards: Q1,500.00 more Q70.00 per 100 kilograms of excess.
For evading the passage through the different weighing control stations to verify weight and dimensions: Q2,000.00. The recidivism in this infraction entails the intervention of the National Civil Police (PNC) for the detention of the vehicle.
For contravening the provisions provided for in the Regulation – except those specified in this same article -: Q100.00.
The owners of vehicles that obtain special permits and do not meet the established requirements may not continue their route. In addition, vehicles will be arrested and sanctioned with a fine of Q500.00.
More scales
On the part of the CIV, it was reported that the regulation of control of weights and dimensions, established in the Government Agreement 379-2010, is functional and is in force.
“Currently, we work to strengthen the application of the regulation by acquiring four mobile scales, which will intensify control operations at strategic points of the country, in coordination with other institutions,” he said, although its location was not mentioned.
“In addition, the General Directorate of Roads, through its Department of Traffic Engineering, issues free special permits to carriers who request it, as long as they meet the requirements established by law, thus reinforcing regulatory compliance and transparency of the process,” he added.
On who places and charges the fines, the portfolio replied: “They are established in Decree 379-2010 and the collection is made through the institutions to which the law gives power to issue and collect sanctions.”