Trucks delivering boxes to container depots within Manila may apply for exemption from plying roads prohibited for use under the Manila City truck ban.
Those trucks with cargoes bound for container depots in the city are a priority of the local government unit (LGU) and can thus avail themselves of the exemption in the form of a truck pass, according to Narciso Diokno, Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) head for operations.
Diokno, a panelist at the recent Philippine International Seafreight Forwarders Association and PortCalls-organized Cargo Transport Summit 2, said there is no fee to secure such a truck pass, which is valid for one quarter.
The truck pass lists the routes of the exempted truck and includes signatures of Manila City officials, Diokno said.
On another note, Diokno said Manila City has “advised” police enforcers to “continuously patrol” the Port Area following numerous complaints of illegal apprehensions received by the LGU from truckers and port stakeholders.
Diokno also advised stakeholders to report to MTPB towing companies that apprehend truckers illegally or tow trucks without an enforcement team from the police and the local government of Manila City.
Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) clarified that trucks that are not for hire need not secure a certificate of public convenience (CPC), but are required to file for a petition for exemption instead.
Trucks or delivery vans operated by owners themselves for use exclusively in company-related business activity need not secure CPCs.
“A petition for exemption is a document we can provide so that in case someone flags you down because you do not have a yellow plate, [but] you have green plate, then you have something to show the authorities,” LTFRB head of Public Assistance and Complaints Desk Arnel Del Rio noted.
He also asked stakeholders to bear with the agency since, as of July 1, the agency has received around 5,500 CPC applications for over 22,000 units, and less than 20 people are processing these applications.
“That is why we are giving you the opportunity to have a provisional authority so that you may be able to use your trucks for your business,” Del Rio said.
LTFRB has issued a resolution providing truck operators a provisional authority to operate pending results of their application for a franchise. However, the provisional authority is only valid until October 17. Under Joint Memorandum Order 14-2014, the moratorium for apprehending colorum trucks expires on July 28.
He also clarified that yellow plates are released by LTFRB’s sister agency, the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Once LTFRB has made a decision on a franchise application, a truck operator has to apply with LTO for the dropping of the green plate and its replacement with a yellow plate.
Meanwhile, Dominador De Guzman, director of Portusers Confederation, said the planned ruling of LTFRB to set an age limit for trucks will hamper delivery of goods.
“Imagine, 80% of the trucks plying the roads are practically second hand. And just to buy a brand-new unit, it will cost you P1.5 million or more,” De Guzman said. A secondhand tractor head, on the other hand, costs only around P600,000 to P700,000.
If the rule is implemented, De Guzman said he could just imagine “the shortage of the trucks plying the road.”
LTFRB’s Del Rio clarified that no rule on truck age limit has been implemented yet. – Text and photo by Roumina Pablo
