A first-term legislator has filed a bill giving persons with disabilities (PWDs) a 20-percent discount on toll road fees.
Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo filed House Bill 5275 proposing to grant PWDs “a 20 percent discount on the toll fees that are also payable through radio frequency identification (RFID) or similar systems.
“Once enacted, our measure will surely give more substance to the mandate of the Constitution for the State to prioritize the needs of Filipinos who are highly vulnerable to marginalization,” Rillo said in a statement on the eve of International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
December 3 of every year is observed worldwide to promote the rights and welfare of individuals with long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments.
An estimated 12 percent of Filipinos aged 15 years and above experience severe disability, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s National Disability Prevalence Survey.
The survey also showed that “severe disability” affects more Filipino women (15 percent) than men (9 percent).
Under Rillo’s bill, to avail of the 20 percent discount, the motor vehicle using the skyway or expressway must be registered in the name of the PWD, who must submit a copy of his or her PWD ID card to the tollway operator when applying for an RFID tag.
The Department of Transportation’s Toll Regulatory Board would be required to issue the rules to enforce the discount.
Rillo’s bill seeks to amend the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons that grants them a wide range of benefits and privileges, including a 20 percent discount plus value-added tax exemption on the sale of certain goods and services.
At present, PWDs already enjoy a 20 percent discount on public transport fares, including train ride tickets.