THE Transport Committee of the House of Representatives has created a technical working group (TWG) that will harmonize conflicting claims on the allowable cargo weight limit for trucks.
The move is in preparation for the full implementation by May 1, 2011 of Republic Act 8794 or the Anti-Overloading Law. A partial implementation is also set on February 1.
The TWG will recommend the ideal gross allowable weight of cargo-carrying trucks nationwide. It will be composed of representatives from the University of the Philippines, the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP), Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Land Transportation Office.
The TWG has until end March to come up with the suitable weight limit — whether it is the 13.5 ton per axle load or the gross vehicle weight (GVW) where the weight of the truck is factored in with the weight of the cargo. The group’s findings will be used as basis for the law.
For its part, CTAP said it will look at how many of its members’ trucks will be apprehended using both criteria to determine which scheme it will push for, according to president Ruperto Bayocot.
The association initially declared support for the per axle weight limit because it means more cargo can be loaded onto trucks compared to if the GVW criteria is adopted.
Bayocot told PortCalls the association is looking at a 30% threshold for violations, that is if there are less than 30% trucks apprehended using the allowable GVW criteria, then both the 13.5 ton per axle load limit and the GVW scheme can be imposed.
“However, if the percentage is beyond 30%, then the allowable GVW should be scrapped and the 13.5 ton per axle weight used instead,” he explained.
CTAP estimates that about 70-80% of trucks servicing the country’s major ports face apprehension if the GVW provision is strictly imposed. This compares to 20-30% apprehension rate if the 13.5 ton per axle scheme is adopted.
