Truckers assure Estrada: No traffic paralysis during ‘holiday’

MANILA, Philippines — Customs brokers and truckers have assured Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada that they would not paralyze traffic during their six-day “truck holiday,” which starts tomorrow.

In an interview with The STAR, Estrada yesterday said one of the leaders of the truckers whom he talked to gave assurance that they would not bring their trucks on the road during the truck holiday.

The truck holiday is intended to bring to President Duterte’s attention the present state of the port in Manila and other parts of the country.

The customs brokers and truckers led by Teddy Gervacio of the Alliance of Philippine Brokers and Truckers Association announced last Wednesday that they would conduct the six-day truck holiday to oppose the phase-out of old trucks.

Gervacio said the “day of rest” or “truck holiday” is meant to protest the order of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to phase out trucks that are more than 15 years old.

“Because of year model phase-out of trucks, the small business of 90 percent of small-time truckers will be dead. It will immediately impact on the poor drivers and helpers who will starve because they will lose their jobs,” he said.

The big international shipping companies will benefit from the phase-out of old trucks, according to Gervacio.

“Under the original orders of the Department of Transportation and Communications (which was replaced by DOTr), the phase-out covers only the buses. Now, they are trying their best to include trucks,” he said.

Gervacio said only the agents of Euro-4 trucks will benefit from the phase-out of old trucks while the small-time truckers, drivers and helpers will lose their source of income in the end.

He said that at present, the truckers cannot haul because the empty containers loaded on their trucks cause congestion inside the ports.

“The return of empty containers is taking us a minimum of three days to a maximum of one week. We have to queue our trucks at our expense. This is the reason why the ports are highly congested. We are also the ones paying the detention, storage fees and penalties being imposed by the Philippine Ports Authority ranging from P5,000 to P10,000. All of us are affected. Only the shipping lines like the ATI, ICTSI, CY-Depot; LGU, wreckers and others are the ones earning profit,” he explained.

Gervacio said the international shipping lines do not have enough CY-depot that would supposedly accommodate their empty containers, which are part and extension of their services.

The group is also asking President Duterte to “intervene.”

“This issue also affects the Philippine economy. We are hoping that the President will intervene in our problem,” Gervacio said.‎

The truckers and customs brokers also started the “noise barrage” by blowing their vehicles’ horns, scheduled beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. daily until the “truck holiday” is concluded on Nov. 24.