DoTr defers revised toll rules implementation anew
‘I suggest that the government give those who were not able to consolidate an opportunity to consolidate, if they want to, so that no one will be left behind’
Daily Tribune‘I suggest that the government give those who were not able to consolidate an opportunity to consolidate, if they want to, so that no one will be left behind’
(FILE PHOTO)
Photo by Analy Labor for the Daily Tribune.
Motorists can continue using expressways without worrying about violating toll regulations due to insufficient RFID balance as the Department of Transportation (DoTr) has postponed the implementation of new policies.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista announced on Sunday that the agency would delay the implementation of the revised guidelines until January 2025 to allow for a thorough review of toll and traffic strategies.
The new toll regulation was initially scheduled to take effect on 31 August but was deferred to 1 October 2024. The Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2024-001, which forms the basis of the new policy, aims to enforce cashless toll collection by encouraging motorists to install RFID tags and maintain sufficient load.
Bautista said that the information gathered from public consultations and data on violators would be analyzed to guide potential amendments to the JMC.
“We will implement the program, excluding the penalties,” Bautista said.
To recall, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had previously called for a comprehensive plan to address traffic congestion in the country’s main thoroughfares, particularly in Metro Manila.
In other developments, the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP) announced on Sunday that it would not join fellow transport groups in a two-day transport strike protesting the government’s Public Transport Modernization Program.
While ALTODAP president Boy Vargas supported the government’s efforts, he urged the government to give PUV operators and drivers who failed to consolidate into cooperatives before the 30 April deadline another chance to do so.
“I suggest that the government give those who were not able to consolidate an opportunity to consolidate, if they want to, so that no one will be left behind,” Vargas said in a radio interview.
Other transport groups, PISTON and MANIBELA, announced on Friday that they would hold a transport strike from 23 to 24 September, as they are calling for the renewal of franchises and registrations for all PUV operators, including those who choose not to consolidate, and allowing those who have entered franchise consolidation to withdraw.
