The Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) is asking the government to strictly implement the mandatory weighing of cargoes at ports to avoid confusion in the implementation of some provisions of Republic Act No. 8794 or the Anti-Overloading Act.
In a letter to Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, CTAP said its proposal to weigh the cargo prior to leaving the port would also mean trucks carrying excess cargo will not be able to damage roads and bridges.
CTAP stressed it is imperative that mandatory weighing “be conducted within the port premises and the results… honored/recognized” to avoid confusion when carrying out provisions of RA 8794 governing trucks coded 12-2 and 12-3.
The appeal comes at a time when the moratorium on enforcing RA 8794 for trucks under codes 12-2 and 12-3 is set to expire on December 31.
Code 12-2 trucks are semi-trailers with three axles on the towing trucks and two axles on the trailers; 12-3 trucks are semi-trailers with three axles on the towing trucks and three axles on the trailer.
CTAP director Ruperto Bayocot said up to 90% of trucks servicing the ports are coded 12-2 and 12-3. However such units, due to their original configuration, will not be compliant with RA 8794, whose prescribed maximum allowable gross vehicle weight (GVW) for code 12-2 trucks is only 41,500 kg and code 12-3, 42,000 kg — for the most part rendering most cargo carried by such units already overloaded.
CTAP has therefore requested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to increase the maximum allowable GVW for code 12-2 to 52,000 kilograms, and for code 12-3 to 57,000 kg.
Bayocot said the suggested weights are equal to the 13.5 tons of allowable weight per axle, which already meets the requirements of RA 8794. Only the North Luzon Expressway implements the per-axle weighing, while other areas implement the GVW. The moratorium suspends the GVW enforcement only for the two truck codes.
CTAP said its members can’t afford to replace their old units due to the economic slowdown and the spiralling cost of trucking operations.
The association noted the implementation of RA 8794’s current maximum allowable GVW under codes 12-2 and 12-3 will result in the stockpiling of 80% of containers at the Port of Manila. This would “put to naught the effort of the government to facilitate a seamless and sustainable mobility of container cargoes,” it added.
CTAP, however, did not outright ask for an extension of the moratorium once it expires at the end of this month but CTAP vice president for external affairs Pepito Dino said they’ve been sending the DPWH the same letter and the agency responds with an extension of the moratorium.
Since 2013, the enforcement of RA 8794 for codes 12-2 and 12-3 trucks has been continuously suspended by DPWH and the Department of Transportation to help give truckers time to acquire needed equipment. – Roumina Pablo
