Drivers protest vs fee increase
DRIVERS belonging to the Transport of Southern Mindanao for Solidarity, Independence and Nationalism (Transmision-Piston) protested in front of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Monday.
They were complaining against the increase in registration fees for public and private vehicles.
In the position paper sent to the office of LTO regional director Gomer Dy, Tansmission-Piston questioned the increase of Motor Vehicle Users Charge (MVUC) and the implementation of the Inspection Fee.
They insisted that these are not reasonable as these did not undergo the proper process, including public consultation.
"The higher fees are additional burden to an already overburdened sector. Drivers have reduced incomes because of the regular increases in oil prices. They contribute so much to the national coffers as milking cows with the increased fines, and now with increased fees. This is really too much," said Edil Gonzaga of Transmission-Piston.
Gonzaga said that the MVUC is the result of former president Joseph Estrada's Executive Order (EO) 197, which ordered all government agencies to increase their fees and charges up to 20 percent, but was only implemented in the previous year.
Gonzaga added that the said EO will implement an increase of 25 percent on the first year, 50 percent on the second year, 75 percent on the third year, and 100 percent on the fourth and following years.
Gonzaga disclosed that there are 6 million vehicle-owners in the country, and the LTO earns around P2 billion in a year, bigger than the collected Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).
Gonzaga insisted that the increase of MVUC is not fair because while motorcycle-owners and PUJ-owners only used to pay P300 and P900 respectively, they are now paying P2,000.
Meanwhile, all owners of private and public vehicles are required to pay the Inspection Fee upon registration or when registration needs to be renewed.
Owners of sidecars have to pay P150, PUJ-owners P300 while bus owners have to pay P600.
"There is no standing order or law, but is implemented nationwide," Gonzaga said, adding that their group suspects said increase to be another source of corruption. (AD)