BAGUIO CITY – The numerous truckers affected by the implementation of the city’s new truck ban ordinance were urged by Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan to attend the public hearing on the proposed amendments to the questioned legislative measure which was held Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at the City Council session hall, to air their grievances relative to the said measure.
The local chief executive said he already did his part by issuing Administrative Order No. 50, series of 2017 granting exemptions to selected groups of truckers from the coverage of the truck ban as a temporary reprieve while amendments to the truck ban ordinance are being ironed out but the city council refused to confirm the enactment of the order for still unknown reasons.
“We have no recourse but to implement what is contained in the ordinance amidst the repeated appeals from affected stakeholders. We wanted to help the truckers by granting them the needed exemption while amendments are being introduced to the ordinance but it seems some of our local legislators refuse to open their eyes to reality that there are a number of sectors being jeopardized by their failure to act on the confirmation of our administrative order,” Domogan stressed.
Under Administrative Order No. 50, series of 2017, those that are be exempted from the coverage of the truck ban are vehicles loaded with perishable goods, cutflower truckers, water delivery trucks, mine ore concentrate, among others.
He added the order was submitted to the local legislative body twice for confirmation but rejected twice because the local legislators viewed the order as an executive amendment to an existing ordinance.
According to him, the order was submitted to the local legislative body for confirmation to show to the truckers that there is unanimity in the action of local officials to sensitive issues being brought to their attention for immediate action as immediate action is needed on the matter because of the urgency of transporting perishable goods to markets in Metro Manila and the lowlands, of delivering potable water to consumers, and mine ore to the Poro Point staging area.
Earlier, the city council enacted Ordinance No. 05, series of 2017 which imposed a truck ban in the various city streets from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily to help reduce the monstrous traffic jams around the city, especially during rush hours.
Vegetable truckers immediately raised an uproar during the implementation of the ordinance as the delivery of perishable goods from the La Trinidad trading post to the lowland and Metro Manila markets will significantly be affected plus the fact that the delivery of vegetables to the ports will be compromised since there will be a serious delay in their travel once they will adhere to the provisions of the ordinance.
Domogan called on the affected sectors to air their concerns before the members of the local legislative body to make them understand the difficulties they face in trying to remedy their situation while awaiting for the amendments to the ordinance.
By Dexter A. See
