Ministry bans vehicles from carrying protruding materials

In an attempt to prevent accidents caused by trucks carrying rods, poles, pipes, etc, the Centre has banned vehicles from carrying any material protruding beyond the body frame.

The road transport ministry has deleted the provision in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules that allowed protrusions up to one metre.

Soon the ministry will carry out awareness campaigns to educate truckers and consignees on the issue.

Though the ministry had earlier allowed vehicles to carry poles on roads so long as the protruding part or parts did not exceed the length of a metre beyond the rearmost point of the vehicle, the rule was highly misused.

In 2012 alone at least 9,100 people died in 28,217 road accidents caused by such protrusions.

Last July, the Supreme Court had sought the Centre's response after a public interest litigation said that thousands of motorists died every year in accidents caused by trucks parked recklessly on highways, many with iron rods protruding from their body frames.