Overloaded sand trucks spilling sand on National Highway 25, passing through Gia Lai, are causing public outrage and posing significant traffic safety risks. This article will analyze this situation and its consequences.
Sand trucks waiting to load sand in Gia Lai
Overloaded Sand Trucks Run Rampant
Sand mining and transportation activities take place at the sand mine of Tay Nguyen Gia Lai Construction Joint Stock Company on the banks of the Ba River (Chu Gu commune, Krong Pa district, Gia Lai province). Sand is pumped ashore, then scooped onto trailer trucks that have been welded shut to form a container. Every 30 minutes to an hour, a sand truck is filled to the brim, covered with tarpaulin, and begins moving from the riverbank to National Highway 25.
According to reports, these sand trucks often travel towards the provinces of Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and many other provinces for consumption. It is worth mentioning that many vehicles show signs of being overloaded beyond the permitted limit.
Sand truck traveling on National Highway 25
Serious Overload, High Risk of Accidents
Through preliminary inspection, some sand trucks have a load of up to 70 tons, while the allowable load is only 40 tons. This means that the vehicle is overloading the road by about 50% and the vehicle’s weight by about 100%. Sand trucks spilling sand due to overloading not only damage traffic infrastructure but also pose a very high risk of traffic accidents.
Determining the exact level of overload requires weighing. However, inspection is difficult because the vehicles are often parked at the sand yard, not circulating on the road, and the car owners and vehicle owners often evade.
Public Outrage, Authorities Intervene
Sand transportation activities take place bustlingly, especially at night, seriously affecting the lives of people living along National Highway 25. Noise, dust, and the risk of accidents make people angry and worried.
Faced with this situation, local authorities have directed functional agencies to strengthen inspection and handling of oversized and overloaded vehicles. Krong Pa District People’s Committee has requested Tay Nguyen Gia Lai Construction Joint Stock Company to temporarily suspend sand transportation for inspection and remedy of the overload situation. This business is required to repair the road to the weighing station and weigh the weight of minerals before consumption, with a deadline of before January 15. However, completely handling the situation of sand trucks spilling sand due to overload remains a difficult problem. People want functional agencies to take stronger measures to ensure traffic safety and social order.
