Remember when portions of EDSA were covered in mud—whether intentionally or unintentionally, we don’t know—not once, not twice, but thrice? The shenanigans essentially turned parts of the thoroughfare into a mini off-road course.
It was one of the biggest motoring issues of 2021. One of the theories floated around was that an overloaded truck filled with dirt was behind it. Anyway, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) personnel recently flagged down one such truck on EDSA, and traffic chief Bong Nebrija took the opportunity to call out the practice of overloading.
In a Facebook post, Nebrija blasted truck drivers and operators who make a habit out of filling their beds to the brim with cargo. The truck featured in his post was so overloaded with dirt that wooden boards were put up to serve as an extension barrier keeping the debris in place. Look:
MMDA calls out overloaded trucks
ALSO READ:
Think you can make a living manually counting cars on EDSA all day?
Could PH fuel prices hit P100/L? The DOE speaks up
“You ask why there are mud spills and salt spills on EDSA? Here is a classic example of how trucks overload their cargo.
“They put board extension and fill their truck to the brink to the point that even their tarps cannot cover them anymore,” Nebrija said.
“So kapag nalubak o maling liko sa kalsada, lahat natapon niyan. Alam ba ng driver na total truck ban sa EDSA? Yes, of course, kayang-kayang naman bayaran ang penalties,” he added, stressing that these actions are part of the reason why EDSA is constantly undergoing rehabilitation.
Overloaded trucks don’t just have the potential to inconvenience other motorists—it’s an extremely unsafe practice, too. The heavier a vehicle is, the more stopping power it takes to bring it to a halt from speed.
Anyway, do you often see trucks overloaded like this on the road? Let us know in the comments.
