Toll waiver for agri trucks still under negotiation — DA

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Monday that negotiations with toll operators are still underway after it requested a toll waiver for trucks hauling agricultural goods amid rising fuel prices.

“Sa ngayon, under negotiation pa with the toll service providers. Hopefully, sana by the end of this week, may kasiguraduhan na,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a press briefing.

(Right now, it is still under negotiation with the toll service providers. Hopefully, by the end of this week, there will be certainty.)

DA Undersecretary Arrey Perez earlier said in a radio interview that the agency was seeking a toll holiday until December 31 to cushion the impact of rising logistical costs in transporting agricultural products.

In April, the DA secured a one-month exemption from toll fees for agricultural trucks amid rising fuel prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

The DA said the toll waiver could translate to savings of P1,500 to P3,000 per trip, or P52 million to P105 million over one month, for the 1,162 trucks currently accredited under the DA’s Food Lane program.

Motorists should expect mixed movements in pump prices this week starting October 6, with diesel prices seen declining while gasoline prices could increase by as much as P2 per liter, according to estimates by Mean of Platts Singapore. — MCG, GMA News