The Philippines’ Department of Transportation (DOTr) is open to discussing with stakeholders their issues and concerns about a new policy that will effectively impose a 15-year age limit on trucks-for-hire.
“We are willing to talk with you guys. Let’s form a technical working group (TWG) in order for you to put forward your counterproposal,” Mark Richmund De Leon, DOTr assistant secretary for land and road transport, told participants at the recent Forum on Government Accreditation Requirements for Logistics Providers organized by the Aircargo Forwarders of the Philippines, Inc, Philippine International Seafreight Forwarders, Inc and PortCalls.
De Leon, describing Department Order (DO) No. 2017-09 as a “controversial” policy, said he hopes stakeholders are also willing to sit down with the government to come up with a win-win solution.
He explained, however, that the government is taking a holistic approach to modernizing the country’s public transportation fleet, including trucks, and that the 15-year age requirement for trucks-for-hire under DO 2017-09 is part of the department’s “vision for a modern transportation system.”
He noted that among different forms of public transportation, only jeepneys and buses do not have an age limit.
DO 2017-09, signed April by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, reinforces DO 2002-030 about placing a mandatory age limit on buses- and trucks-for-hire covered by a certificate of public convenience (CPC).
Under DO 2017-09 the DOTr reiterates DO 2002-030 and “strengthens the policy on the mandatory fifteen (15) year age limit of public utility buses (PUB) units or Trucks for Hire (TFH) which are covered by Certificate of Convenience (CPC) by requiring the submission of Certificate of Date of Manufacture from the original manufacturer such as Sales Invoice, or other competent documents to prove the age of motor vehicle.”
According to DO 2002-030, “no unit shall be the subject of a new application for franchise, for extension of validity of Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC), for substitution of unit, and for increase of number of units, if said unit is more than the minimum age requirement as specified below by the time of expiration of the covering CPC.”
The policy, which stakeholders said caught them by surprise because no prior consultation or notice was given, has become a major concern.
The Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP), in a position paper on DP 2017-09 submitted to DOTr, said about 80% of cargo trucks being used to transport various types of goods and commodities are refurbished second-hand units aged 15 years old and above.
CTAP and other trucking organizations have reiterated that roadworthiness, not age, should be the basis for registration and issuance of CPC. Truckers earlier noted that new trucks can still cause accidents if not well-maintained or are driven by reckless drivers.
De Leon asked participants of the forum to consolidate their proposals and suggestions and submit them to DOTr before the meeting.
Forum participants may email their proposals of comments to events@portcalls.com on or before August 18.
De Leon, meanwhile, also said that part of DOTr’s modernization program is reviving the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS), an automated system for inspecting vehicles that will be implemented under two programs.
One is the government-run MVIS, which will use mobile platforms in almost 27 centers all over the country to enable the government to bring the system to where the demand is, De Leon noted. The government-run MVIS will be used for public vehicles and trucks.
The other MVIS program will be implemented through public-private partnership and cover private vehicles.
An MVIS system was put in place several years ago but only five inspection centers were established and these were reportedly hard to maintain. – Roumina Pablo
