DTI probe welcome, says trucking group

A perfect opportunity for a lecture on Logistics 101.

An official of the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) said on Thursday that they were looking forward to the investigation to be conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on their recent move to hike hauling rates by 50 percent.

“We welcome the probe. In fact, that will give us a chance to explain our side and give them a lecture on Logistics 101,” CTAP director Bert Suansing told the Inquirer.

Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo earlier said they were looking into possible collusion and anticompetitive practices among trucking groups which recently imposed a 50-percent hike in hauling rates without consulting stakeholders.

The increase was in response to the truck ban being implemented by the Manila City government.

“How can there be collusion? The competition is actually intense in this business. If there was no competition, the increase could have reached 200 percent,” Suansing said.

He added that truckers groups “have been telling everybody not to tinker with the truck ban measure because the end result is increased cost of trade.”

“The owner of the cargo is paying for the delay in the movement of cargo because trucks have long idle time,” Suansing said.

Domingo, however, called the 50-percent increase unreasonable and detrimental to the economy.