Agri-truckers get toll discount starting June

Agri-truckers get toll discount starting June | Daily Tribune

To mitigate the inflationary effect of toll fees on agricultural commodities, the government, in collaboration with expressway operators and concessionaires, will be providing toll rebates to truckers accredited by the Department of Agriculture who transport agricultural products, beginning next month.

The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), Department of Finance, (DoF) Department of Transportation, and Department of Agriculture along with Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) and SMC Tollways officially launched the Agri-Trucks Toll Rebate Program on Thursday

Under the program, which takes effect on 1 June, DA-accredited truckers shall receive toll rebates equivalent to recently implemented toll hikes dating back from June 2023.

The rebate program will initially run for three months and be subject to review for possible extension, depending on the inflationary situation, according to TRB executive director Alvin Carullo.

Benefit to Luzon trade

Approximately 200 to 300 farm product-carrying trucks traveling on expressways in both northern and southern Luzon will benefit from the program.

“This program aims to protect the welfare of the general public by minimizing the impact of toll rate increase on the overall inflationary situation to ensure the stability of food prices.”

“The TRB, together with the different government agencies, acknowledges the toll expressway concessionaires and operators for their full support and cooperation as this will not be possible if they did not agree to implement this exemption,” TRB executive director Alvin Carullo said.

For his part, DoF Assistant Secretary Eufrocino Bernabe Jr. said the toll rebate program was intended to bring down cost of production.

‘This program aims to protect the welfare of the general public by minimizing the impact of toll rate increase on the overall inflationary situation to ensure the stability of food prices.’

“We don’t have an actual study of how much it will bring to inflation. But we expect that the cost of production will be reduced accordingly,” Bernabe said.

The toll rebate program covers users of several expressways, including North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX), Subic-Clark Expressway (SCTEX), and Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX).

For those using SMC Tollways-operated toll roads, the average rebate ranges from P2 to P30 depending on the vehicle class, as stated by SMC chief financial officer Raoul Romulo.

On the other hand, DA-accredited truckers using MPTC-operated expressways are eligible for a rebate ranging from P16 to P156, depending on the distance and vehicle class.

To qualify for the rebate program, truckers must be duly accredited by the DA and have valid Autosweep and/or Easytrip RFID accounts.

To ensure the program’s integrity and prevent abuse, spot checks will be conducted. These checks aim to confirm that enrolled trucks are transporting agricultural goods or products. Non-compliance with the program’s guidelines may result in disqualification.