‘No permit, no service’ rule for truckers starts

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has started the implementation of the “no permit, no service” policy for truckers nationwide.

The PPA said colorum truckers who do not follow the schedules and rules at port terminals would be slapped with hefty fines.

“We are warning colorum truck operators to comply with the certificate of accreditation (CA) and permit to operate (PTO) requirements,” PPA general manager Jay Santiago said.

“Apart from being barred from transacting at the port terminals, they will be sanctioned,” Santiago added.

The no permit, no service policy was implemented by the PPA starting on Monday in line with the agency’s Memorandum Circular 19-2021, stating that truckers need to obtain a CA and PTO, otherwise they are not allowed to transact at port terminals.

The PPA said truckers were long advised of the policy.

The first deadline to secure a CA and PTO ended last Oct. 15. It was extended to Oct. 31, with truckers required to merely file an accomplished application form and submit all pertinent documents by Dec. 31, 2021.

The PPA said a trucker applying for a three-year PTO would be given a 50 percent discount on permit fees.

The agency said it learned that several truckers still refuse to comply or get operating permits.

The PPA said all other service providers at the ports are required to get permits.

As of the end of the October deadline, the agency said 75 percent of truckers operating at the Port of Manila had complied with the CA and PTO requirements.

The PPA said port operators Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) and International Container Terminals Services Inc. (ICTSI) have started implementing the policy.

All trucking and hauling service providers need to present their PTOs before entry at ATI South Harbor. The ICTSI said it would allow only truckers with permits or with a pending CA or PTO application to transact at the Manila International Container Terminal.

No-contact  apprehension

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority yesterday denied viral online posts, saying the MMDA would implement the no-contact apprehension policy along major thoroughfares in the metropolis starting Nov. 15.

“This is fake news,” the MMDA said in a statement. “The no-contact apprehension scheme is not a new policy and has been enforced for a long time now.”

MMDA enforcers will continue to apprehend motorists caught on CCTVs violating traffic laws along major roads, the agency said.  – Ralph Edwin Villanueva