ARTICLE: When charging toll makes no sense

**Altis6453** · August 10th, 2012 09:17 AM

You don't have to go very far...

When my vehicle stalled in Fort Bonifacio about a month ago, I called for a flat bed tow truck.

They came about 45 min. later from Buendia saying they could have made it earlier had they not been accosted by FB guards and asked to pay a Php 100 fee for the "entrance" of their tow truck in Fort Bonifacio. I ended up shouldering it in addition to the cost of towing. WTF? A toll fee in Fort Bonifacio?

**loidch** · August 10th, 2012 09:36 AM

if these LGUs can't get away with the sticker racket, they put up road side ASBUs in the guise of keeping the air clean. main targets are delivery vans and trucks, and almost all of the time they fail. my question is, do these LGUs have the authority of confiscating license plates? a 1000 peso fine for the first offense and higher for succeeding apprehensions is so so much better than the sticker racket!

**ghosthunter** · August 10th, 2012 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by userfriendly

Batangas, Cavite and Laguna provinces also implement this sticker system. To add to the insanity, if you will go inside Batangas City, you also need a city sticker on top of the provincial sticker. This is utter nonsense. Its another form of tong. The govt should implement policies to stimulate the economy not find creative ways to increase operating cost for businesses.

True story: I bought some construction materials form Manila a few years ago. Had it delivered to Batangas City. They charged me delivery fee. I was ok with it as I knew they had to spend for toll fees and fuel. We were both supprised when their truck was apprehended for not having a sticker. Cost for them to pay the penalty or get a sticker was more than their delivey charge.

I dont get why you have to get a stupid sticker to deliver one time. Heck we already pay yearly car registration and our taxes pays for the roads. The govt should put a stop to this stupid practice. What happens if you deliver to several cities and provinces. You have to get stickers for each and every palce you go to. You might end up with your windshield totally covered with stickers.

This is the same issue we have when we deliver goods to areas that we do not frequent, like once a month (or even less) deliveries. The cost of the sticker and the hassle of actually submitting all the fracking requirements then waiting for hours for "processing" is a big waste of time, money and manpower.

I just wish distribution companies can simply boycott these places because these are practically highway robbery.

**Altis6453** · August 10th, 2012 11:25 AM

Not apples to apples but...

In Europe, delivery truckers have a way of "lobbying" against these types of rackets. They simply impose a blockade.

Can't help but wonder if a similar kind of action by operators of delivery vehicles in the PH would "starve" these LGUs into submission since there would be no delivery of food or supplies to their municipalities or cities.

**loidch** · August 10th, 2012 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by Altis6453

Not apples to apples but...

In Europe, delivery truckers have a way of "lobbying" against these types of rackets. They simply impose a blockade.

Can't help but wonder if a similar kind of action by operators of delivery vehicles in the PH would "starve" these LGUs into submission since there would be no delivery of food or supplies to their municipalities or cities.

DILG for its part can just clarify this matter and rule that these fees are illegal. that order alone should give truck owners some kind of leverage against them.

**kinyo** · August 10th, 2012 09:10 PM

kotongerong gobyerno as usual

**boybi** · August 11th, 2012 09:48 AM

Legalized kotong.

All the provinces have this kind of racket. We deliver goods all over the Luzon province and we have delivery van stickers from every province. What we do is assign trucks for certain provinces so we don't have to get stickers for all of our trucks. The problem is if one of the trucks needs servicing and it has a scheduled delivery, we'll have to utilize another truck for that delivery and it doesn't have a sticker for that province. Mabilis pa sa parking attendant yung mga nanghuhuli ng walang sticker!

Most of the time, may sarili pang sticker for the cities/towns aside from the provincial sticker.

**loidch** · August 11th, 2012 11:08 AM

these people really have the galls. they pull aside big trucks w/c are about to enter NLEX and cite them for overloading w/o a truck scale! don't they know or just pretend not to know that NLEX strictly imposes a 13.5 ton per axle weight limit? truckers know the hassle of queuing up at the LTO to retrieve their plates. the trucks who enter NLEX are quite sure of the weight limit before entering it. these crooks are really psychics, coz they can tell if a truck is overloaded by merely looking at them! wow

**ghosthunter** · August 11th, 2012 11:17 AM

This is an issue that should concern all people because the money charged to the vans/trucks of distributors and shippers will eventually end up in the higher retail prices of goods at the stores, supermarkets, etc.

If you are wondering why everything is so expensive, this is one of the contributors.

**Ry_Tower** · August 11th, 2012 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

This is an issue that should concern all people because the money charged to the vans/trucks of distributors and shippers will eventually end up in the higher retail prices of goods at the stores, supermarkets, etc.

If you are wondering why everything is so expensive, this is one of the contributors.

Yup, I agree. Lahat yan may trickle down effect sa end consumers.