Saturday, September 23, 2006 Palace to find solutions to load limit
MEMBERS of the Benguet Vegetable Traders and Truckers Association, Inc. (BVTTAI) and the management of the Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) must meet halfway in the formulation of solutions to the implementation of the Anti-Overloading Law at North Luzon Expressway (Nlex), a Malacañang official said on Friday.
Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Chief Arthur Yap, in an interaction with Benguet local government officials, farmers, traders and truckers here last Thursday, issued the statement as the BVTTAI appealed to Palace officials to help them convince the MNTC to relax the implementation of the load limit law, especially on vegetable delivery trucks from Cordillera.
They said the vegetable industry is suffering from heavy losses due to the reduced load of the trucks as a result of the law.
Yap assured the farmers and traders that he will facilitate a dialogue with the MNTC provided that they must be ready with counter-proposals so that both parties can come out with a compromise agreement in the future. He will also make representations with the MNTC so that the concerns of the truckers will be addressed soon.
Republic Act (RA) 8794 or the Anti-Overloading Law requires that heavy duty motor vehicles passing through roads and bridges in the country must have a 13.5 tons axial load limit.
Prior to the operation of Nlex, the group claimed that they were allowed to load at least 17 tons for six-wheeler trucks and 25 tons for 10-wheeleter trucks. At present, six-wheeler trucks are only allowed a load of 11 tons while 10-wheeler trucks are allowed a maximum load of 15 tons.
However, Yap said those concerned must understand that a private investor poured in billions of funds to rehabilitate Nlex, citing that the load limit is aimed at protecting the 84-kilometer highway from rapid deterioration but he will do his best to work out the best solution to the problem.
The MNTC and public works officials asked truckers to strictly abide by the load limit, considering that it is for their own safety and for the protection of the road from deterioration. But they will work out other options to come up with an acceptable solution to the problem.
Experts claimed that the 13.5 tons axial load limit of the country is the most liberal load limit law in the world. (DS)
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