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Starting April 20, vehicles transporting food and agricultural products will be able to ply all expressways free of charge
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It will initially be in effect for a month
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It is part of government measures to keep food prices stable amid rising fuel costs driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East
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The Toll Regulatory Board, Department of Agriculture, and major toll concessionaires have agreed to provide toll relief to truckers, industry service providers and farmers to ensure unhampered movement of food and other agricultural products
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Vehicles must be accredited by the DA and equipped with an RFID sticker to qualify for the toll exemption
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Savings from toll fee suspension range from P600 to P1,800, depending on the vehicle class
Starting April 20, vehicles transporting food and agricultural products will be able to ply all expressways free of charge as part of government measures to keep food prices stable amid rising fuel costs driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Transportation secretary Giovanni Lopez in a statement said the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), Department of Agriculture (DA) and major toll concessionaires have agreed to provide toll relief to truckers, industry service providers and farmers to ensure unhampered movement of food and other agricultural products.
All vehicles transporting food and agricultural products must be accredited by the Department of Agriculture (DA), and equipped with an RFID sticker to qualify for the toll exemption.
Savings from the toll fee suspension range from P600 and P1,800, depending on the vehicle class. The rebates will be credited to the corresponding RFID accounts on a weekly basis.
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The toll exemption will be implemented initially for one month, and may be extended subject to the review, assessment, and further discussions among the Department of Transportation (DOTr), DA, TRB, and toll concessionaires and operators.
Last March, tollway operators Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Infrastructure agreed to a temporary toll rebate program for public utility vehicles (PUVs) and freight trucks effective March 23 to help shield the transport sector from the impact of soaring global oil prices. The voluntary two-month rebate period effectively rolls back toll rates to levels seen before the most recent adjustments.
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