1,500 trucks caught overloading in Cagayan Valley

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 1,550 trucks were apprehended in the Cagayan Valley region in a crackdown against overloading since April, the Department of Public Workers and Highways (DPWH) said on Friday. DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said the trucks were found to have exceeded the weight limit at the Daang Maharlika Road. The allowable limit is 13.5 per axle limit. “We must make all those who violated the law be liable. These overloaded trucks are destroying public property, and they should be held responsible and pay for the damage that they have done," Ebdane said. A recent study conducted by the DPWH Planning Service and Road Information Management and Monitoring System (RIMMS) indicated that the main cause of early deterioration of national roads and bridges are the freight trucks and container vans whose gross weight exceed the allowable limit. The penalty for violating the Anti Overloading Law is a fine of 25 percent of the truck's registration. Identified by RIMMS as overloading hotspots were Region 1 and 3, Cagayan Valley Road in Region 2 and 3, and San Fernando-Olongapo Road in Region 3 with average overloading of 8-16 percent. The Cebu-Toledo Wharf in Region 7 has posted 13 percent overloading, and Butuan City-Cagayan de Oro City route in Region 10 with 5 percent average overloading. Trucks caught overloading trucks are not allowed to continue with their journey until they unload the excess weight, the DPWH said. Ebdane noted that the Philippines already has the highest weight limit compared to other countries. Research conducted by the department shows that the US only allows 9.1 metric ton/ axle, UK 11.5 MT/ axle, EU 11.5 MT/axle, France 13 MT/axle, Thailand 9.1 MT/axle, Pakistan 12 MT/ axle and India with 9.3 MT/ axle. - GMANews.TV