The enforcement of the anti-overloading policy on trucks and trailers with Codes 12-2 and 12-3 configurations has been suspended yet again for six months – from Feb 1 to July 31 – by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In a public advisory, DPWH said the extension was given as “requested by haulers/truckers… to give them more time to acquire additional transport equipment to conform with the latest GVW” or gross vehicle weight requirement.
DPWH’s revised implementing rules and regulations (IRR) governing Republic Act 8794 (An Act Imposing a Motor Vehicle User’s Charge of All Types of Owners of Vehicle and for Other Purposes) prescribe new maximum allowable GVW for certain types of trucks.
Code 12-2 trucks are semi-trailers with three axles for the towing trucks and two axles for the trailer (total of 18 wheels) while trucks falling under the 12-3 configuration are semi-trailers with three axles for the towing vehicle and three axles for the trailer (total of 22 wheels).
Under the revised IRR of RA 9894, trucks and trailers with loads exceeding the prescribed GVW of 41,5000 kilograms (Code 12-2) and 42,000 kilograms (Code 12-3) and load per axle of 13,500 kilograms are prohibited from operating and will be considered overloaded.
An amount equivalent to 25% of the motor vehicles user’s charge in the motor vehicle registration with the Land Transportation Office will be imposed on apprehended over-loading trucks.
In an earlier interview with PortCalls, Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines president Ruperto Bayocot said more than 50% of units nationwide belong to Codes 12-2 and 12-3 and the only way for truckers to comply with the revised IRR is to increase the allowable GVW to 54,000 kilograms. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of Naypong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
