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Truck holiday’s impact on port operations minimal —DOTr


The 5-day truck holiday set to start on Monday, November 19, will have a minimal impact on port operations, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Thursday.

Participants in this protest move are a small group of truckers, but big trucking companies are not joining, the department said in a statement.

“Trucking groups such as the Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners and Organizations (ACTOO), the Chamber of Customs Brokers Inc. (CCBI), and the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines Inc. (CTAP) have issued separate statements that they are not supporting the planned protest,” DOTr Undersecretary for Maritime Fernando Juan Perez.

These groups will continue operating and they are not supporting this truck holiday, Perez noted.

The truck holiday was organized by a group of truckers in protest of the government’s phase out program of truck 15 years and older as part of measures to address port congestion.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) noted that an agreement with truckers allow old trucks to continue operating during a transition period.

“These units, regardless of year model, will be allowed to operate during the transition period, should they pass the roadworthiness test of the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) being procured by the Land Transportation Office (LTO),” LTFRB Chairman Delgra said in the same statement.

On Wednesday, maritime officials met to discuss the truckers’ concerns.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Jay Santiago, and DOTr’s Perez were present in the meeting.

The DOTr said it will continue to push for the modernization of public vehicles for the safety, security, and comfort of the public at large.

Through modernization, “vehicles will be made to comply with higher standards of roadworthiness, travel efficiency, and environmental sustainability.” —Joviland Rita/VDS, GMA News

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