Domestic gas distributors in Quito ask to be excluded from the Pico y Placa

Vehicles that carry liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks, for domestic use, and sell them at home must also comply with the Pico y Placa vehicle restriction, which is in force in Quito from 05:00 to 10:00 and from 16:00 at 21:00.

Iván Cartagena, president of the Association of Gas Distributors of Pichincha, pointed out that motor vehicles begin to tour the neighborhoods from 06:00 to 16:00. According to the union, 80% of the LPG sold in the capital is made through distribution trucks.

Cartagena commented that being included in the restriction affects both the merchants’ income and the supply of the product.

Therefore, the Association requested the Municipality of Quito that these vehicles be classified within the exceptions of the measure; In the group that can be freely mobilized are the cars of the President and Vice President of the Republic, among others.

The same request from gas distributors was raised by other transportation sectors that must also comply with the Pico y Placa, among which are dump trucks, food transportation and fuel distributors.

Faced with this situation, on November 8, a meeting was held in which the mayor of Quito, Santiago Guarderas; the Ministers of Transport and Public Works, Marcelo Cabrera, and of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources, Juan Carlos Bermeo; Councilor Mónica Sandoval, president of the Mobility Commission, and municipal authorities, who received the representatives of the drivers.

According to a statement released by the Municipality, during the meeting Guarderas stated that the way to solve the problems is through dialogue. “In the Peak and Plate exceptions are established that are provided for in the law and cannot be modified, it should have an authorization from the Metropolitan Council to be able to reform the Municipal Code,” said the mayor.

The council is open to make adjustments, if necessary. In that sense, Guarderas requested to generate an objective analysis to evaluate the time slots and the limits of the vehicle restriction.

The observations will be incorporated into the technical tables that the Municipality started with the taxi drivers union last week, to review the Pico y Placa. The next session of these tables will take place on November 11 and the carriers that required to be excluded from the measure will participate. (I)