Abolition of toll fees in Benguet pushed

THE abolition of toll fees on Kennon Road and Halsema Highway in Benguet Province is being pushed through a bill at the House of Representatives.

Benguet Representative Nestor Fongwan and Mountain Province Rep. Maximo Dalog Jr. recently filed House Bill 2952, which seeks to terminate the collection of toll fees in Camp 6, Kennon Road and in Acop, Tublay which covers Halsema Highway.

The collection of toll fees at Camp 6 was implemented by virtue of EO 34, as amended, issued by then President Ramon Magsaysay on June 1, 1954.

The bill aims to repeal Executive Order No. 34 series of 1954 as amended.

HB 2952 cited the passage of Republic Act 8794 on June 27, 2000 titled "An Act Imposing a Major Vehicle User's Charge on Owners of all types of Motor Vehicles and for other purposes.

Dalog and Fongwan said the motor vehicles user's charges are collected and deposited in special trust accounts in the National Treasury.

The trust accounts include Special Road Support Fund and the Special Local Road Fund which are used by the Department of Public Works and Highways for the maintenance and improvement of primary and secondary roads throughout the country.

The two lawmakers added with toll fees collected by virtue of EO 34 and RA 8974 which are both transmitted to the National Treasury, the road users of Camp 6 toll road are technically being charged twice.

Dalog previously observed the toll gates are being maintained by the national government and not by the local government units, thus collection of the toll gates are not being used for maintenance of the roads but are remitted to the national treasury and motorists are being charged twice for using the roads because of RA 8794 which imposes the road user’s tax.

They added that most farmers from Benguet and Mountain Province transporting their agricultural products to the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post or directly to Metro Manila have to increase farm prices of vegetables and pass on their expenses to retailers and consumers.

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