SIAM asks Railways to increase height of barriers at level crossings

Auto industry body SIAM has asked Indian Railways to increase the height of barriers being constructed at level crossings across the country as a part of electrification process, pointing out that vehicle carriers are facing difficulties to cross them forcing them to take a long detour sometimes.

The industry body has urged the Railways to increase the height of overhead line at the crossings in order to enable the passage of vehicle carriers with a height of 4.75 metres.

In a letter to Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav, the auto industry body has also pointed out that the electrical division of the board has been placing such vehicle carriers under the category of 'Over Dimensioned Carriers' (ODC).

As a result, such carriers are being charged a hefty amount by the Railways based on the height above 4.6 metres for passage at the level crossing despite them being of standard permissible height and not requiring any special, sector wise, permission, as applicable to over dimensioned loads, SIAM said.

Vehicle carriers are sometimes forced to take a long detour to avoid barriers which is resulting in fuel and time wastage, it highlighted.

As per the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, the permissible height of a transport vehicle is 4.75 metres, it added.

SIAM also pointed out a case of a newly constructed road barrier at the level crossing at Kuchaikote, Bihar. The industry body said with electrification process underway at the crossing, there is no alternate road available, leading to heavy congestion of vehicle carriers.

The crossing being a gateway to dealers in east and north-east, the stoppage is affecting delivery of vehicles to 71 cities with an average volume of 6,500 vehicles per month, SIAM noted.

SIAM has also given a list of crossings to the Railways across the country in various states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, North East, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana where the transportation vehicles are facing the barrier height issue.