Several groups of truck drivers conducted a noise barrage along Anda Circle in Manila to protest against the toll fee hike in North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) on Friday, July 21.
Drivers swamped their trucks along the two lanes of Anda Circle which caused heavy traffic in the area and was felt until Roxas Blvd.
Kilos protesta ng mga truckers group bilang pagtutol sa tumaas na toll fee sa NLEX, kinasa na; Daloy ng trapiko, mabigat | RH 29 @boy_gonzales#DosPorDos #SamaSamaTayoPilipino
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) July 20, 2023
LIVE: https://t.co/XtUPX2Efje pic.twitter.com/PpJdSsy5YI
Interviewed by RH Boy Gonzales, a protester stressed that the NLEX toll fee hike is “unjustifiable”.
“Ngayon pa lang bumabawi ang industriya ng truckers mula sa pandemya. Sa panahon ng pandemya, kami ang bumubuhay sa NLEX, tapos ngayon na bumabangon pa lang kami, eto ang ginanti nila sa amin,” she added.
The protester said a total of 200 truckers participated in the demonstration.
In a separate interview, an official from Manila Police District (MPD) said the truckers did not seek a permit to protest.
“Pag-aaral namin [kung ano ang nilabag]. Wala po [advisory]. Alam naman nila na wala kaming binigay na permiso sa kanila. Secondly, dapat hindi na tinuloy dito kasi alam naman nila na ito ay main road ito at maraming dumadaan dito na truck,” he said.
“Inaabala nila ‘yung motorista na papasok,” the official added.
Meanwhile, the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) said the truck protesters halted their protest at around 9 AM. The traffic flow eventually went back to normal.
Grupo ng truckers na nagbarikada sa Anda Circle, Maynila umalis na bago mag-alas-9 ng umaga; MTPB, MMDA, HPG tulung-tulong sa pag-alalay sa mga motorista | RH 52 @ednielparrosa#SamaSamaTayoPilipino pic.twitter.com/t6dxQf6I8a
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) July 21, 2023
Last June 15, NLEX Corporation management implemented additional toll fees ranging from ₱7 to ₱98 for all motorists.
Revised toll fees for the NLEX vary depending on vehicle class, with rates ranging from ₱69 to ₱206 for the open system and ₱332 to ₱995 for end-to-end travel.
