Truckers hold rally in front of DPWH

MANILA, Philippines - Truckers gathered in front of the Department of Public Works and Highways yesterday morning to call on the agency to implement a moratorium on a law banning overloaded trucks and discipline DPWH enforcers who extort money from drivers.

The truckers snarled traffic at around 9 a.m. as they held a 30-minute noise barrage along Bonifacio Drive in Port Area, Manila. They ended the rally when Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and other city officials met with them.

Estrada “invited us to go to the bulwagan at the city hall. He understands our problems and he is initiating a traffic summit,” said Mary Zapata, head of the Aduana Business Club Inc., whose members staged the rally.

Zapata said her group supports the holding of a traffic summit to thresh out the problems that have been causing traffic jams in Metro Manila and could lead to an economic slowdown. The summit may take place in two weeks, she added.

In a related development, DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson ordered all his regional directors to suspend yesterday the enforcement of the reduced maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW) on certain types of trucks until Jan. 31, 2014.

Republic Act 8794, which imposes a motor vehicle user’s charge on all vehicle owners, provides that trucks and trailers that exceed their GVW will be fined an amount equivalent to 25 percent of their MVUC.

Zapata said they have to formally receive communiqués on the DWPH suspension order.

She said they also hope the DPWH moves its weighing stations, noting that weighing should be done when the shipping containers are still in the port. Zapata also encouraged the DPWH to use scales that are more appropriate for trucks, saying there had been instances when the agency’s portable scales would give different readings for the same truck.