Gangtok: The governments of Sikkim and West Bengal have jointly decided not to allow overloaded trucks on the National Highway 31A and weigh bridges will be installed at Rangpo, Melli and Salugara along the highway.

Talking to newspersons at Yatayat Bhawan here today, Secretary of State Transport Authority, West Bengal, Sushanto Chaudhary and Transport Secretary, Sikkim, S D Basi told that a number of power and other projects in Sikkim will get the supplies of materials through heavily overloaded trucks passing through the NH-31A, which not only violates the Supreme Court's order, but also weakens the Highway which has a limited carrying capacity.

As the fragility of NH-31A, due to plying of overloaded trucks, has increased, the top transport department officials of both the governments decided to redress the problem in an effective manner. The two officers told that the temporary permits for the goods vehicles, shuttling between Sikkim and West Bengal, will now be issued for six months only instead of one year at present and will be counter-signed by the RTOs of both Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri.

Mr Chaudhary and Mr Basi told that both the governments are in full agreement about starting services of SNT and West Bengal State Transport buses between Gangtok, Kalimpong, Darjeeling and other places, including Jaigaon on West Bengal-Bhutan border, provided they get enough passengers.

They told that direct services between Gangtok to Kolkata too can be materialised, but this will need special type of buses and drivers as well keeping in mind the hilly terrains in the two states.