By Brian Campued
As the month-long toll waiver for trucks carrying food and agricultural commodities began Monday, local government units (LGUs) are urged to help fast-track the accreditation of farmers and traders who will benefit from the initiative.
In a news release Tuesday, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto underscored the importance of removing bottlenecks to reduce the time and cost it takes for farm produce to land in the market, especially during the peak harvest season when these products are highly perishable.
“Unnecessary and unreasonable stopping and inspection of food trucks by police and LGU checkpoints should also stop because it delays travel and wastes fuel,” Recto said.
The month-long toll-free privilege on major expressways, which was facilitated by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agency Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), took effect on April 20.
To qualify for the toll exemption, vehicles must be accredited by the Department of Agriculture (DA) under its Food Lane Program and equipped with a radio frequency identification (RFID) sticker.
Under the DA’s Food Lane Program, 1,162 accredited trucks can transport up to 7 million kilos of food daily to major markets. The agency is targeting to renew accreditation of over 3,000 trucks to expand coverage.
According to Recto, vehicles carrying food and perishable goods and oil tankers have also been exempted from the morning and evening truck ban in Metro Manila to ensure unhampered delivery of essential products.
He added that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and LGUs also suspended pass-through and delivery fees for cargo vehicles transporting goods across Metro Manila.
“If you notice, even the Department of Agriculture has started buying direct from farmers, and these food convoys will be scaled up, if needed,” he said.
Exec. Sec. Recto likewise highlighted other government initiatives to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices on logistics and food costs as directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., including the P1 roll-on, roll-off terminal fee for vehicles carrying raw and unprocessed agricultural goods.
“Inter-island ang biyahe ng pagkain. Kaya lahat ng nasa supply chain… dapat matulungan,” Recto said.
-jpv
