City of San Fernando, Pampanga—Traffic flow along the Pampanga section of the North Luzon Expressway was paralyzed for almost an hour, creating a long queue of vehicles, after quarry truckers blocked at least eight toll gates at dawn on Saturday.
“Movement of vehicles, mostly carrying goods for Metro Manila, have been blocked by trucks that barricaded the entry and exits of NLEX toll gates Pampanga section, creating heavy traffic at least for one hour,” said Col. Andres Simbajon, acting director of the Pampanga Provincial Police Office.
Toll gates closed by truckers included Sta. Ines, Dau, and Mabiga, all in Mabalacat City; San Fernando Exit; San Simon Exit; Mexico; Floridablanca; and Porac where quarrying operations thrive in these areas.
The barricade was a show of protest to the management of NLEX because of what they called its insensitivity to the plight of sand and lahar haulers. Another issue raised was the unabated mulcting activities by NLEX patrol and illegal collection of exorbitant fees.
More than 2,000 truckers are plying the Pampanga area via NLEX to haul good quality sands and washed down from upstream of different waterways in the event of heavy rains.
Simbajon said truck drivers only cleared the toll gates after Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda appealed to members of the truckers association.
Haulers put up the barricades to protest against the policy of NLEX Corp. prohibiting the entry of 12-wheeler and 14-wheeler trucks on the tollway since late August.
NLEX Corp officials also snubbed the Nov. 6 meeting with quarry trucking firms to finalize the allowable load of cargo, said Lennard Lansang, president of the Porac Truckers and Haulers Association.
Lansang said they ended the protest at 7:20 a.m. after Pineda committed to take the issue to national leaders.
“All that its management does is talk. It does not provide solutions,” Pineda said, adding he was worried for the 4,000 drivers and helpers who do not earn income as the ban entered its third month.
The daily rates of drivers and helpers are P1,000 and P500, respectively. Haulers get a profit of P2,000 after operational expenses and amortization on vehicles.
Pineda said during the latest dialogue, haulers informed him they had reduced the sidings of their trucks to be able to comply with the allowable load on NLEX.
“They cannot use the MacArthur Highway because it is busy and the road condition is bad,” he explained.
The governor said the prohibition was not being enforced squarely because information reaching him showed that some patrol guards allowed heavier trucks in exchange for P1,000.
Pineda also slammed the management of NLEX Corp. after two of its patrol guards arrested a protesting driver at gunpoint.
NLEX will file criminal charges against the truckers association, informed sources said.