Gov’t urged: Tap MVUC for road clearing ops

The national government should have “equity” in the road clearing operations it had mandated local government units (LGUs) to undertake to address the traffic crisis, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said yesterday.

Recto said the national government can tap the unspent P46-billion motor vehicle users’ charge (MVUC), which is part of the fees charged by the Land Transportation Office annually for vehicle registration.

“Its (national government) participation should go beyond issuing orders and deadlines, but must also include contributing to the tools and resources local governments need to rid thoroughfares of obstructions,” Recto said.

“Once roads are cleared of encroachments, the hardest part is to keep them that way – and to ensure that some form of national government-local government partnership is needed,” he added.

President Duterte, in his State of the Nation Address last month, warned LGUs that they have 60 days to clear obstructions in streets, including illegally parked vehicles.

Unspent MVUC collections stood at P46.25 billion as of December 2018. For 2019, the government projects to collect P13.9 billion.

While the use of the MVUC has been modified by a new law Duterte signed last April 8, it can still be used to complement road clearing operations, Recto said.

Republic Act 11239, which abolished the Road Board and earmarked all MVUC collections “solely for the construction, upgrading, repair, and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, and road drainage” that will be specified in the national budget.

Recto said “what national government can do is let MVUC fund some DPWH projects and use the so-called ‘savings’ for programs and projects that will aid local governments in keeping roads safe and clear of blockages.”