This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 3, February 19-25, 2006
Truckers Set to Strike Again Over Regulations Some
400 member of the Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners and Organizations staged a
strike February 9 blocking the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) resulting in a
massive traffic jam from the Balintawak toll way up to Malinta, Valenzuela.
They are set to strike again after the government refused to issue a moratorium
on overloading regulations at the NLEX. BY
JHONG DE LA CRUZ The Alliance of Concerned
Truck Owners and Organizations (ACTOO), an organization of truckers, vowed to
stage more protest actions ranging from slowdown to work stoppage following the
government’s refusal to grant their demand. This, after government
officials had sought a dialogue last Wednesday February 15 at the Land
Transportation Office (LTO) to hear their grievances on the implemented no
overloading regulation at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). In the said dialogue
between the ACTOO, the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) which runs the NLEX,
and Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI), the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB),
and the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the government has put in place a
technical committee to conduct study and formulate plans to mitigate the impact
of the load limit policy being implemented at the expense of the truckers. The body will be led by
representatives from the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) which runs the NLEX,
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Alliance of
Concerned Truckers Owners and Organizations (ACTOO). MNTC, 70-percent owned by
the Lopez group’s First Philippine Infrastructure Development Corp., officially
took-over the operations of the 83.5-km highway from the Philippine National
Construction Corp. last year. Two other shareholders of MNTC are Egis Trans and
Leighton Asia Ltd. The ACTOO is complaining
over the implementation by MNTC of Republic Act 8794 or the “Act Imposing A
Motor Vehicle User’s Charge on All Types of Motor Vehicles and for Other
Purposes”. Under RA 8794, a trucker who violates the prescribed load of 13.5
tons is penalized with a fine ranging from P1,500-P2,700 per violation. Port control ACTOO maintained that port
truckers do not determine cargo weights since it is determined by importers and
shipping lines at the ports of origin and can be controlled by the Bureau of
Customs (BoC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Ports
Authority (PPA), Arrastre, and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
before the trucks are released from Philippine ports. ACTOO chair Ricky Papa said
his group has been urging the government to set up a mechanism at the port where
trucks will undergo weight inspection. Trucks that are overloaded can be
prevented from exiting the ports. Papa added that the NLEX,
constructed in the mid-sixties and was run by the Construction Development Corp.
of the Philippines (CDCP) until the early eighties, is the only passable road
for truckers to avoid being fined at Mac Arthur Highway in Malolos City, Bulacan,
which has its own road policy enacted by the local government. The truckers also have to
secure clearances when plying some parts of Manila. In Manila, the truck ban
begins in the afternoon from 5 to 9 pm while in Muntinlupa from 4 to 8 pm.
Trucks are not covered by the color coding scheme elsewhere but in Pasig, Cavite
and Laguna. “Some cities even have a daytime tuck ban,” Papa said. The group alleged that in
Muntinlupa, truckers are required to secure a permit from the city government
before entering and that traffic enforcers are allowed to withhold their load
pending clearance from the city government. Moratorium Malacañang officials
refused to impose a moratorium for the no-overloading ban saying MNTC has the
prerogative in implementing its regulations. MNTC for its part said it cannot
violate section 6 of the law, which places the cargo limit at 13.5 tons. The DPWH has opposed
upraising the allowed load limit at the highway saying 13.5 tons is one of the
highest limits in the world. It cited the U.S. and Japan where the load limit is
at 10.5 tons and Europe, which has a 11 ton-limit. ACTOO also complained about
a government proposal for retooling the trucks. Retooling or equipment
conversion will involve modifying their trucks from the current two-axle to
tri-axle trailers. Papa said the government explained that retooling will spread
the weight of the cargo and enable trucks to pass the prescribed load limit. His group also rejected the
soft loans offered by government for retooling. He said contracting more loans
will further aggravate the plight of truck operators. The group noted that each
unit would need some P300,000 for retooling and that poor road zoning and bad
terrain will defeat the purpose of the conversion. The DOTC also proposed
setting up “Task Force Timbang” (Task Force Weighing) to monitor the trucks’
cargo limits at the port. Papa said his group,
composed by the Integrated North Harbor Truckers Association (INHTA), United
Truckers Association of the Philippines (UTAP), Unyon ng Truckers sa Pantalan
(UTP or the Union of Port Truckers), MIP Truck Operators Association (MIPTOA),
Asosasyon ng mga Operators at Dispatchers sa Pantalan (AODP or Association of
Port Operators and Dispatchers), Surplus Importers and Brokers Association,
Inc. (SIBAI) and Fruit Importers and Brokers Association, Inc. (FIBAI) is set
to conduct marathon discussions in preparation for their planned work stoppage.
Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
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