LTFRB extends provisional authority for trucks

MANILA, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has extended the validity of provisional authority issued to trucks-for-hire using the Port of Manila in anticipation of the holiday season, an official said yesterday.

The board said that because of the holiday season, more shipments are expected to arrive at the Port of Manila and other ports in the country.

LTFRB chair Winston Ginez said the board will accept applications for franchises and they will be issued provisional authority valid up to Jan. 15, 2015. 

The provisional authority is a document issued to an operator while the franchise application. Earlier, the government set higher fines on operating improperly registered public utility vehicles.

With the board’s acceptance of new applications and grants of provisional authority up to Jan. 15, 2015, cargo trucks will be allowed access to and from the port but they must strictly observe the Manila city government and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority truck ban and truck lane regulation.

During a Cabinet cluster meeting on port congestion on Monday, the board was directed to accept new applications to be filed by trucks and issue provisional authority to enable them to continue transporting cargoes to and from the Port of Manila.

According to the board, this is to enable owners of about 5,000 of the approximately 12,000 trucks currently used for port-related operations to meet and apply for the franchise requirements. 

The board cited data from the House Joint Committees on Transportation and Metro Manila Development Authority stating that congestion at the Port of Manila was exacerbated by a truck ban imposed by the city earlier this year. This supposedly cost the country about P450 billion in lost revenues from February to July alone.

The board said that since the truck ban was lifted, goods movement into and from the ports have increased by as much as 40 percent. However, with still a high volume of shipments that need to be cleared from the port, congestion remains a problem, the board said.  

“The lack of cargo trucks will cause massive problems for consumers and businessmen; especially now that we have a backlog of more than 20 ships queued for berthing at the Port of Manila,” said George Chua, president of the Federation of Philippine Industries.