BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered the suspension of the implementation of the new truck ban in the city for an additional ten days reckoning from April 10, 2017 to allow concerned truckers to submit their proposals on how to grant exemptions from the coverage of the truck ban ordinance.
The local chief executive directed the personnel of the Baguio City Police office (BCPO) during their regular Monday meeting to still adhere to the suspension of the new truck ban ordinance because he is still working on how to grant exemptions to truckers with valid reasons from the coverage of the ordinance.
The City Mayor issued the third extension suspending the implementation of the city’s new truck ban ordinance after receiving numerous complaints from truckers, particularly those delivering perishable goods from the local markets to the lowland and Metro Manila markets, and other industries involved in the delivery of items important to our country’s economy relative to the coverage of the truck ban.
“We need to iron out things so that we will not be accused of impeding the flow of products from the farm to the market among others. We will implement the new truck ban as soon as all issues being raised against the implementation of the ordinance shall have been appropriately addressed,” Domogan stressed.
Under the provisions of Ordinance No. 05, series of 2017 otherwise known as the new truck ban, 6-wheeler trucks, trailers and units of heavy equipment are prohibited from travelling around the city from 6 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 9 pm daily to help ease the worsening traffic congestions around the city during rush hours.
Officers of the Benguet Truckers and Traders Association Inc. requested the local government to grant them exemption from the coverage of the new truck ban by providing their trucks with stickers stating among others that their trucks are loaded with perishable goods.
For its part, the Philex Mining Corporation also requested the local government to exempt their trucks from the coverage of the truck ban because unwarranted delays in the transport of the ore concentrate to the Poro Point shipyard in San Fernando City, La Union will result to the company suffering from excessive fines.
Domogan pointed out those requesting exemption from the coverage of the new truck ban ordinance have valid reasons that must be considered by the members of the City Council to again revisit the ordinance for them to thresh out the issues and put things in their proper perspective.
He also ordered the local police force to return to the concerned truckers their license plate numbers that were confiscated by law enforcers during the initial implementation of the truck ban while the local chief executive and the local legislators are looking into the possibility of granting exemptions to certain groups from the coverage of the truck ban ordinance. /By Dexter A. See#
