City suspends new truck ban ordinance

MAYOR Mauricio Domogan ordered the suspension of the implementation of Ordinance No. 05, series of 2017 which seeks to regulate the use of streets in the city by trucks with gross weight of 4,500 kilograms or more for 10 days to resolved the concern of truckers loaded with perishable goods.

Domogan’s decision to temporarily suspend the implementation of the new truck ban ordinance came after La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda, La Trinidad police chief Inspector Benson Macli-ing and officers of the traders and truckers association from Benguet requested for exemption of those trucks loaded with perishable goods, particularly vegetables from the La Trinidad trading post to the lowlands via the city’s roads, for timely delivery to their buyers.

“We have to temporarily suspend the implementation of the new truck ban ordinance to allow us, with the support of stakeholders, to find ways on how we can closely

work together without unduly interrupting the transport of perishable goods from the La Trinidad vegetable trading post to their prospective markets in the lowlands,” Domogan stressed.

While the truckers and traders agreed to work out arrangements by which they could adjust their schedules in travelling from the trading post to their prospective markets in the lowlands, the local chief executive is also looking into ways on how to grant the truckers the exemption from the coverage of the new truck ban ordinance for the smooth transport of agricultural products to the markets in Metro Manila and the lowlands.

Under the new truck ban ordinance, six wheeler trucks are barred to traverse in various roads around the city from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The truckers agreed to the implementation of the total truck ban in the city from 6 am to 9 am but questioned the enforcement of the truck ban from 4 pm to 9 pm which is the height of the transport of vegetables from the trading post to Metro Manila and lowland markets.

According to the truckers, the height of their travel is from 2 pm to 6 pm to beat the 6 pm to 8 pm truck ban in La Trinidad that is why they want the local government to exempt their trucks that transport perishable goods from the coverage of the new truck ban in the city.

Domogan requested Salda, Macli-ing and officers of the truckers association to submit their proposals to him before the lapse of the 10 day grace period so he will be able to work out the issuance of the appropriate orders for their exemption from the coverage of the truck ban or request the local legislative body to amend the truck ban ordinance.

Salda expressed his gratitude to Domogan for his timely intervention and decision to temporarily suspend the implementation of the city’s new truck ban ordinance to give a chance for the affected truckers to submit their proposals on how to address the issues raised against the implementation of the ordinance. Dexter See/PIO