SMC Tollways sets Oct. 31 deadline for agricultural truck toll discount enrollment
Key Takeaways
- •SMC Tollways will stop accepting enrollments for the government's 5% agricultural truck toll discount after Oct. 31, making it the last chance for operators to obtain coverage.
- •The discount applies on five expressways — the Skyway system, NAIA Expressway, South Luzon Expressway, STAR Tollway, and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway — routes linking farming provinces with Metro Manila.
- •Only Department of Agriculture-accredited trucks qualify, and new applicants must provide the vehicle's official receipt, certificate of registration, valid DA accreditation, and an Autosweep RFID card.
- •Previously enrolled operators will automatically qualify for the November discount only if their DA accreditation is still valid, as those with expired accreditation must re-enroll.
- •The program, led by the Department of Transportation and the Toll Regulatory Board, cuts tolls by 5% per trip to help reduce agricultural transport costs amid high fuel prices.
SMC Tollways Corp. has set Oct. 31 as the deadline for truck operators transporting agricultural products to enroll in the government’s 5% toll discount program across its network.
The discount applies to trucks using five expressways: the Skyway system, NAIA Expressway, South Luzon Expressway, STAR Tollway and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. The network stretches from Metro Manila Southern Luzon and, via the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, north through Central Luzon to La Union — routes that trucks hauling agricultural goods use to move between the provinces and the capital region.
To qualify, trucks must be accredited by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and enrolled in the toll discount program. SMC Tollways said enrollment will officially close on Oct. 31, and no applications will be accepted after October, making the deadline the last chance for a truck to be covered under the program.
New applicants must submit copies of the vehicle’s official receipt and certificate of registration, a valid DA accreditation, and the vehicle’s Autosweep RFID card.
“Truck operators previously enrolled in the program will automatically qualify for the November discount, provided their DA accreditation remains valid. Those whose accreditation has expired must enroll again,” the company said. For operators, that puts DA accreditation validity on par with the enrollment deadline itself, since a lapsed accreditation sends even previously covered trucks back into the enrollment process.
The program is part of an initiative by the Department of Transportation and the Toll Regulatory Board to help reduce the cost of transporting agricultural goods amid high fuel costs. The relief is per-trip: qualified trucks pay 5% less in tolls on the covered roads, trimming a recurring expense for fleets moving farm goods at a time of elevated fuel prices.
— Ashley Erika O. Jose
Source: BusinessWorld Online
