Tricks to bypass weigh stations on National Highway 1A

(Baonghean) - Along with the rest of the country, Nghe An province has deployed mobile weighing stations on National Highway 1A since the beginning of April. In the first few days of the inspection campaign, more than 74% of trucks violated regulations by carrying overloaded cargo, with some exceeding the limit by 327.5%. Drivers have also been using various tactics to bypass the weighing stations.

On the morning of April 4th, we were present at Weighing Station No. 15 on National Highway 1A, in Dien An commune, Dien Chau district. While guiding a truck driver carrying construction materials to the weighing station, Mr. Phan Van Tien, Deputy Head of the Traffic Inspection Team and in charge of Task Force No. 1 of the mobile weighing station, reminded his colleagues to prepare the equipment and get ready for duty. When the truck with license plate 37C 07480 slowly moved into the area, the driver announced that he did not have his vehicle registration papers with him and could not present any personal identification documents because they were being held by the owner of the goods. At this point, the weighing station officers asked the driver to move the truck to the parking lot and wait for the owner to bring the documents before proceeding with the weighing procedure. Before complying with the task force's order, the driver unleashed a string of swear words, causing those standing outside to feel insulted and offended. According to Mr. Phan Van Tien, although the weighing station was only established a few days ago, incidents of drivers and cargo owners insulting weighing station officials occur frequently, making the area constantly "tense".

Drivers park their cars around the gas station, waiting for an opportunity to bypass the checkpoint.

Mobile weighing station No. 15 officially commenced operations on April 1st with the participation of traffic inspectors, traffic police, public security police, and military control forces. In addition to the weighing station located opposite Cuong Temple in Dien An commune, the task force also uses patrol vehicles within a 2km radius of the station to educate and explain the purpose of the weighing station to truck drivers and cargo owners, as well as requesting vehicles to enter the station for weighing as required. Mr. Phan Huy Chuong, Deputy Chief Inspector of the Nghe An Department of Transport and Head of Mobile Weighing Station No. 15, stated that from April 1st to 6th, the station conducted 135 vehicle weighings. The results showed 100 vehicles violating regulations (over 74%). Of these, from April 1st to 3rd, the overload rate reached over 90%. On April 1st alone, 100% of vehicles violated regulations, while on April 2nd, this rate decreased to approximately 95-98%. Even vehicles with minimal overloading accounted for around 15-20%, with the majority exceeding 100%. Some vehicles carrying fruit or steel even had overloading rates as high as 327.5%,… All overloaded vehicles were issued administrative fines and asked to reduce their load before being allowed to continue their journey.

In the early days of the weigh station's operation, truck drivers used various tricks to try and bypass the station before passing through this section of road. Mr. Chuong said that the first trick drivers used at the weigh station was to gather their trucks in empty lots, near gas stations, and restaurants at both ends of the station, waiting for an opportunity to drive past. These drivers used several "decoys" loitering in front of the weigh station; when they saw the authorities busy weighing trucks, they would signal the drivers to recklessly bypass the station. Some drivers would stop their trucks at both ends of the station, hire other trucks to reduce their load and transport it past the station while they continued to weigh their own trucks. Once weighed and found not overloaded, these drivers would pass the weigh station and continue loading their trucks.

Furthermore, some "weighing station touts" even take advantage of drivers resting at gas stations and restaurants, befriending them and collecting 500,000 to 1,000,000 VND from each person, claiming it's for "bribes." After the drivers give the money, these individuals pretend to make phone calls to ask for favors, then tell the drivers to confidently proceed to the weighing station. Only when the vehicle enters the station do the drivers realize they've been tricked. Currently, some touts are finding ways to guide trucks along shortcuts along the coast in Nghi Yen commune, Nghi Loc district, to bypass the weighing station. Notably, many drivers are gathering and inciting people to pressure weighing station officials; many drivers, when asked to enter the weighing station for inspection, lock their doors, leave their vehicles, and refuse to comply. “On the night of April 3rd, we dealt with 22 cases of truck drivers who were uncooperative with the weigh station and displayed defiant and provocative attitudes when asked to bring their vehicles to the station. Regarding the tactics used by drivers to bypass the weigh station, we had to be both gentle in explaining the purpose of the weigh station's operation and firm in dealing with those who disregarded the law,” said the Chief Inspector of the Nghe An Department of Transport.

In its early days of operation, Weighing Station No. 15 in Nghe An is facing difficulties regarding personnel and working mechanisms. Mr. Phan Huy Chuong stated that, according to the establishment decision, the mobile weighing station is supposed to have 17 participating officers, including traffic inspectors, traffic police, public order police, and military control personnel. However, only 13 have joined so far, and the military control force is still absent due to various reasons. Due to the lack of personnel, the weighing station cannot operate 24/7. From April 1st to 4th, the station only operated from 6 AM to midnight, with many trucks gathering at gas stations and restaurants around the station to pass through at night. Given this situation, the weighing station has implemented two random shifts per day to prevent trucks from learning the pattern and attempting to bypass the station illegally. Mr. Chuong stated that currently, operating and construction funds for the station have not yet been allocated, causing many difficulties for the staff working there.

For a long time, the frequent circulation of oversized and overloaded vehicles has been one of the leading causes of traffic accidents and road degradation, yet authorities have not taken strong and effective measures. It can be affirmed that the deployment of mobile weighing stations on National Highway 1A is a correct policy, contributing to gradually reducing and eventually eliminating the participation of oversized and overloaded vehicles in traffic, thus contributing to traffic safety and the quality of transportation infrastructure on National Highway 1A. Provincial authorities also need to promptly implement strict penalties and sanctions against drivers who intentionally violate regulations and evade weighing stations. Simultaneously, measures should be taken to widely publicize the purpose and significance of the weighing stations to the public, businesses, vehicle owners, and drivers, helping them understand that this is a correct policy and that they must actively comply with the law.

Text and photos:Nguyen Khoa