The Special Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Ernakulam, has found tipper lorry owners and drivers guilty in two cases of overloading and slapped them with a fine, failing to pay which they will face imprisonment.

Magistrate Mary Bindu Fernandes issued the orders on cases registered by assistant motor vehicle inspectors with the Ernakulam Enforcement Regional Transport Office. Both cases were registered based on special drives against the overloading of vehicles on the directive of the Ernakulam Enforcement Regional Transport Officer (RTO).

In one of the cases, a tipper lorry headed from Thrissur to Alappuzha was found overloaded by 13,930 kilograms during a drive held at Kalamassery on November 24, 2022. As per norms, the lorry was set a maximum load limit, including that of the vehicle’s weight, of 25,000 kilograms. But it was found to have a total weight of 38,930 kilograms. Subsequently, the lorry owner and the driver were asked to continue the trip after paying a compounding fee of ₹29,500 and removing the excess weight. However, both the parties left with the vehicle without complying with the directions.

When asked to pay the fine at the Motor Vehicles department (MVD) office, the owner decided to move the court. The court directed the owner and the driver to pay a fine of ₹46,000 or to undergo six months’ imprisonment.

The second case was registered following a drive held on January 15, 2021. The overloaded lorry was found carrying sand from Muvattupuzha to Chellanam. The court ordered the owner and the driver to pay a fine of ₹34,000 or face six months’ imprisonment. The parties now face court verdicts after failing to pay the fine at the MVD office.

Senior grade assistant public prosecutor Sumi P. Baby appeared for the MVD.