www.lietz.com Rudolf Lietz, Inc August, 2014
PCCI calls for status quo of LTFRB rules until Christmas
SOURCE: http://www.mb.com.ph/pcci-calls-for-status-quo-of-ltfrb-rules-until-christmas
Citing the chaotic traffic situation leading to the still heavily-congested Manila ports and its adverse impact on the economy, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has called for a status quo up to December this year on the traffic rules and truckers operation to the pre-truck ban ruling imposed by the Manila City government in February this year.
PCCI President Alfredo Yao has proposed that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) should suspend apprehending colorum (illegal) vehicles until such time they could finish the processing of applications for truckers and haulers.
“We are calling for a status quo at least until December this year because we are now shipping cargoes for the Christmas season,” Yao said. Cargoes normally peaked in the early part of the second semester of each year as companies beef up their inventories for the holiday season.
To maintain a steady number of trucks servicing traders and exporters, Yao said LTFRB must suspend its rules on apprehending colorum vehicles until end this year.
There are an estimated 5,000 applications from truck operators wanting to legitimize their operations.
“At least 60 percent of these truckers are mom and pop operators and they are part of the underground economy,” Yao said. “We are not saying these colorum vehicles should continue to stay underground. At some point, they should be legitimized but that will depend on how fast LTFRB can process their application,” he stressed.
If LTFRB will apprehend these colorum trucks, Yao said, there will be an acute shortage of trucks. There will be no vegetable delivery trucks that will supply vegetables from Baguio to Manila. For instance, Yao’s business includes food and beverage production, among others, used to hire 100 delivery trucks.
“But we are now utilizing 80 trucks because of the LTFRB ruling,” he said.
Yao said the implementation of truck ban by the Manila City Mayor Erap Estrada in February this year, was complicated by the LTFRB ruling against colorum vehicles. “They should not implement both rulings at the same time because it has become so chaotic for exporters, traders and small businesses,” he said.
This has been further complicated by the congestion at the Manila ports where trucks have difficulty going in and out of the ports. With all these logistical issues, Yao had earlier warned of negative impact on the country’s GDP in the second semester.