PAMPANGA quarry haulers have decided on the increase on sand prices to cover for the sharp rise in transport expenses due to the recent restrictions on the North Luzon Expressway.
Pampanga unfiltered sand now costs P1,500 per cubic meter (cu. m) in Luzon. Pampanga sand is mostly bound for the construction market in Metro Manila.
As of August 19, from the previous price of P550 per cu. meter the increase is due to hauling trucks’ load reduction and longer shipment routes, on top of the recent oil price increases, according to Lennard Lansang, president of Porac Haulers and Truckers Association based in Porac town.
Bigger vehicles with higher loads take other routes in Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija provinces, entailing more labor and fuel expenses.
Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda on August 2 imposed a 15-day suspension of quarry operations to give haulers time to cut the sidings of their trucks to conform with the gross vehicle weight required under Republic Act No. 8794.