The Hindu Business Line : Curbs sought on overloaded `common carriers'

In a move that would further curb overloading on roads, a Parliamentary Committee has recommended registration of all goods booking agents as common carriers. Moreover, the Committee has also broadened the definition of common carrier and recommended that for common carriers found violating norms (including loading) five times, their registration should be cancelled.

At present, goods booking agents are not required to register and in case of overloading, truckers are at the receiving end. However, truckers claim that the goods booking agents are equally responsible. If one trucker refuses to carry overload, the agent moves to another, they point out.

Common carriers would include all players providing motorised transport service. "Common carrier means a person engaged in the business of collecting, storing, forwarding or distributing goods to be carried by goods carriages under a goods receipt or transporting for hire of goods... includes a goods booking company, contractor, agent, broker and courier agency engaged in the door-to-door transportation of documents, goods or articles," stated the Rajya Sabha Committee in its report on Carriage by Road Bill, 2005.

Common carriers should be penalised for flouting provisions pertaining to axle load and gross vehicle load as contained in the Motor Vehicles Act. It has stated that overloading should be included as a ground for suspension or revocation of registration.

Another recommendation is to allow single registration of a common carrier (at its principal place of business and endorsement of branch offices in its registration certificate) to ensure that common carriers do not get away through multiple registrations.