[News] Truckers warn that applying the maximum rate increase allowed on highways "is an invitation to an explosion on the routes"

[FNX Magokiler]

"We ask the MOP to clarify this point soon and find out if there are ongoing conversations with the companies," said the National Confederation of Truck Owners.

A couple of weeks ago, concern about the high readjustment of toll and TAG prices on the country's highways and routes has been taking place among citizens, which would be effective as of January 1.

This week the concessionaires should publish the tariff adjustments, which consider the inflation accumulated in 12 months until November.

Therefore, this increase takes on special relevance this year in a context of the strong increase in prices that is hitting Chile. So far in 2022, inflation has accumulated 12.5% and 13.3% in the last twelve months (as of November). This last figure is the one that should generally be reflected in the tolls. Faced with this situation, the Minister of Public Works Juan Carlos García, at the beginning of December, said he was "in permanent dialogue with the concessionaires who have to submit their proposal to us and, based on that, we will evaluate the measures to be implemented. We are still in deadline for it." Thus, during this time several and intense meetings have been held between the concessionaire companies and the MOP to define the increase that highway tolls would have from 2023. According to El Mercurio, the MOP has asked the concessionaires to make efforts to that the blow not be so hard, asking that the increase be carried out in parcels or fractions during the next year.

 

 

And now, truckers are pressing to communicate soon what will be decided in this regard. In a statement, the National Confederation of Truck Owners (CNDC) expressed its "concern over the official silence regarding the increases in toll rates that will be in force from next January 1." "We ask the MOP to clarify this point soon and find out if there are ongoing conversations with the companies that manage the roads that lead to applying minor readjustments. It is necessary to make the above transparent," he added. Finally, they argued that "it must be taken into account that urban highways increased their profits by 60% in the third quarter and that the income of the concessionaires increased by almost 30% in the same period, only due to greater movement of vehicles. Without However, these firms are not required to apply the maximum legal readjustment". "It is of utmost importance that the authority and the companies themselves warn that applying the maximum to which the law authorizes them means transferring the highest inflation of the last 30 years to the entire logistics chain and to consumers. Not taking this fact into account is in practice a virtual invitation to an explosion on the roads", he concluded.

 

https://www.emol.com/noticias/Economia/2022/12/15/1081109/camionerios-reajuste-peajes-tag.html