Transport advocacy group Move As One Coalition is prodding Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade to revise the policy on tollways to allow the entry of public utility vehicles (PUVs).
"It has come to our attention that tollway operators are permitted to bar public utility vehicles, such as buses and trucks, from using tollways. As a result, private vehicles have exclusive use of the infrastructure," Robert Siy Jr., Move As One co-convenor said in his letter to the DOTr chief.
"We request a revision of this policy so that public transport vehicles (i.e., buses, trucks, minibuses, jeepneys) are permitted to use tollways as paying customers," he added.
According to Siy, this tollway policy is "inconsistent" with the department's principle of pursuing only what is in the interest of the general public.
Siy also mentioned the National Transport Policy (NTP), approved under the current administration, which states that public mass transportation should be prioritized over private motor vehicles "in the use of road space and all legal easements to ensure accessibility, convenience, reliability, safety, security and fare competitiveness."
Citing the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the NTP, he said that the "focus is on moving more people than vehicles."
Siy emphasized that the current practice of some tollway operators of restricting tollway access to private motor vehicles goes against stated government policy.
"It also delivers negative outcomes for our economy and society: it worsens traffic congestion and increases air pollution and carbon emissions by encouraging greater private motor vehicle use; it discriminates against the vast majority of Filipinos who are users of public transport; and it restricts the efficiency and productivity of the economy by preventing public transport, freight, and logistics firms from benefiting from major transport infrastructure," he added.
The San Miguel Corporation (SMC) earlier announced that its 18-kilometer elevated Skyway Stage 3 will be a no-truck zone dedicated to Class 1 vehicles with Autosweep RFID stickers starting July 12.
SMC President Ramon Ang said the ban should address safety concerns on the elevated expressway and at the same time limit the risk of the spread of different variants of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).