Minister of Transportation to Regulate Weighbridge

Minister of Transportation Budi K. Sumadi answers the press’ questions after accompanying President Jokowi receiving truck drivers, at the State Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (8/5). (Photo by: JAY/Public Relations).

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi promised that everything the truck drivers have told President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the State Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (8/5), will be used as inputs for the management of weighbridge in Indonesia.

A weighbridge has a function is to weigh vehicles carrying goods that pass through an area. However, the Minister does not deny if in some areas, it is used as a source of revenue for Regional State Budget (APBD).

The Minister said that starting this year, the Government shall restore the function of weighbridge to weigh vehicles as well as their contents and it will also control the implementation.

Based on an evaluation, according to the Minister, 80 percent of trucks that pass through weighbridges exceed their weight or volume limit. In such cases, the drivers become the victim because the owners of the goods ignore carrying capacity of the vehicles and want to transport as many goods as possible.

Furthermore, Budi has promised that in the next 1-2 months, Ministry of Transportation will call all the owners of the goods to obey the decision that has been made. Although these owners get profit, Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing must spend a lot of money to repair the road. It could be trillions of rupiah.

“We will gather them (owners of the goods). I am going to collaborate with Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing to manage these weighbridges so it can also participate in monitoring trucks that pass through national roads so they will meet weight and volume requirements,” the Minister said.

The information of volume limit for goods transported by trucks, Budi added, can be seen on the right side of the truck. For two-axle trucks, the limit is 10-15 tons and for three-axle trucks the limit is 20-30 tons.

“Well, that is the determined limit,” Budi said while adding that a diesel truck that has only one pair of tires on the rear and carrying tons of heavy loads is like a knife. It will damage the road.

“It’s not true if they say they don’t know. They know but are forced to do that,” the Minister said.

The Minister has promised three things. First, he will restore the function of weighbridges. Second, he will gather all forwarders and owners of the goods. Lastly, he will gather Transportation Agencies from all over Indonesia to disseminate this matter. (FID/JAY/ES) (GWH/MMB/Naster)