Lawmaker wants to give PWDs 20% discount on toll fees

MANILA: Quezon City Representative Marvin Rillo urged the immediate passage of a measure giving persons with disabilities (PWDs) a fixed discount of 20% on expressway toll fees.

Rillo issued the call on the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in an effort to promote the rights and wellbeing of people with long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments.

According to Rillo, House Bill 5275 would grant PWDs a 20% discount on toll road fees paid through radio frequency identification (RFID) or similar systems.

He stated that because the proposed law would expand PWDs' rights and privileges under the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, it would better meet their evolving needs and be consistent with the government's goal to protect PWDs and improve their welfare.

“Once enacted, our measure will surely give more substance to the mandate of the Constitution for the State to prioritize the needs of Filipinos who are highly vulnerable to marginalization,” Rillo said.

He highlighted data from the Philippine Statistics Authority's National Disability Prevalence Survey, which indicated that around 13% of Filipinos aged 15 and older have severe disability.

The survey also revealed that more Filipino women (15%) than males (9%) are affected by “serious disability.”

According to Rillo, disability is seen as a human rights issue on a much greater scale, not just in the Philippines but also around the world, with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) coming into force.

To be eligible for the 20% discount, the PWD must register the vehicle that will be using the expressway in their name and provide a copy of their PWD ID card to the tollway operator when they apply for an RFID tag.

The regulations governing the discount would have to be made by the Toll Regulatory Board of the Department of Transportation.

PWDs currently receive a 20% discount on all public transport fares, including train tickets.

Photo from Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation

Also read: Cavitex C5 Link implements toll rate adjustment