By Rose de la Cruz
Despite the adverse impact of overloaded trucks to national and local roads and highways, the Departments of Transportation and Public Works have decided to suspend anew the enforcement of this policy until January 1m 2019.
In a statement, the departments said the second suspension of the anti-overloading policy implementation is intended to give truckers a chance to comply to international weight standards.
The policy is intended to cover trucks and trailers. Its initial deadline was June 30, 2017 but was reset in August 2017 to December 31, 2017. And now it is reset again for January 1, 2019.
The two departments want to give haulers and truckers “ample time to acquire additional equipment” that can meet the latest maximum allowable gross vehicle weight (GVW) for trucks and trailers with a total of 18 and 22 wheels.
To be more specific, the suspension covers Code 12-2 and 12-3, which includes trucks, semi-trailer with three axles for motor vehicles and two axles for trailers for a total of 18 wheels. It also involves truck semi-trailer with three axles for motor vehicle s and three axles for the trailer for a total of 22 wheels.
“We are expecting full compliance from Codes 12-2 and 12-3 truck/trailer owners on upgrading their units to have maximum allowable GVW of 41,500 and 42,000 kilograms respectively before January 1, 2019,” DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said.
