Various government agencies have agreed to revisit the implementation of the rules and regulations on users' charge on all motor vehicles to address concerns of overloaded trucks plying the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and national roads, particularly in the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga. 

The Board of Investments (BOI), the government’s premier investment and promotion agency, said it facilitated a meeting with various agencies and the Investment Promotion Unit Network (IPU-NET) member agencies to address the concerns of NLEX Corporation, its registered company, and the local government units of Pampanga and Bulacan  about overloaded trucks regularly plying the NLEX and the said provinces. 
 

As a result of the discussions, BOI said that participants in the inter-agency meeting agreed on actions to be taken to address the concerns of both NLEX and the LGUs, including revisiting the implementing rules and regulations of RA 8794 or  "An Act Imposing a Motor Vehicle User’s Charge on owners of all Types of Motor Vehicles and for Other Purposes." 
 

It was agreed in the meeting that revisions to the IRR should include the new types of trucks not previously in the truck classification and provide an updated computation of the gross vehicle weight to include the dimensions of the trucks, BOI said in a statement Friday, Aug. 25. 
 

BOI Director Ernesto C. Delos Reyes Jr., who chaired the meeting, said the discussion was very timely, as according to the representatives from DPWH, the agency has already formed a special committee to review the IRR of RA 8794. 

BOI said that NLEX Corporation, its registered company, holds the concession of the 105-kilometer NLEX project in the main artery of Metro Manila to Central and Northern Luzon. It has been implementing a 33-ton Gross Vehicle Weight restriction on the Candaba Viaduct southbound along NLEX because of its structural condition. 
 

The said restriction was based on a thorough study and affirmed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which is stricter than the 45-ton maximum GVW allowed under RA 8794.
 

According to the BOI, a representative of NLEX Corporation made a presentation on the maximum allowable gross vehicle weight (GVW) as mandated under RA 8794. NLEX also conducted weighing activities for trucks traversing NLEX, and it was found out that heavy trucks carrying sand traversing the north and south bounds exceeded the permissible axle load limit and GVW as prescribed under RA 8794. These kinds of trucks are not included in the matrix of truck classifications prepared by DPWH. 
 

Meanwhile, the provincial governments of Pampanga and Bulacan raised their concerns that if the overloading issue persists, it could result in damaged roads. 
 

The concerned LGUs said this could result in higher maintenance cost and rehabilitation of public roads. This will also negatively impact the investment potential of the said provinces as investors place emphasis on good infrastructure, including roads, when deciding on the location of their projects. 
 

Other matters discussed were the policies of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Land Transportation Office (LTO) on the importation of such trucks and the issuance of permits to use regular roads and highways. 
 

As per LTO, as long as the truck being imported is compliant with GVW limitations, it is permitted to be registered with LTO. There was also discussion on the structure and load capacity of roads, where DPWH said that roads and bridges are designed to have a maximum load of 33 tons. 
 

Member agencies concurred with the suggestion of enhanced inter-agency coordination among the concerned government agencies involved in the implementation of the anti-overloading law. They also agreed to intensify road safety and weight enforcement campaigns across the country.