The Metropolitan Manila Council (MMC) Special Traffic Committee issued on June 9 a resolution designating a 24-hour specified truck route in Metro Manila that will be in place for six months, or from June 10 to December 10.
MMC Resolution No. 92-2014 states that “there is a necessity to decongest the Ports of Manila which are now in their capacity level due to the adjustments of the truckers to the Manila truck ban ordinance.”
The MMC also noted that the 24/7 specified truck route opened by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority for one week to coincide with the holding of the World Economic Forum on May 21-23 helped decongest the ports of Manila, but that the ports have remained “still within capacity level.”
It added that Manila’s ports urgently need to be decongested to accommodate more imports especially during the peak months of July to September.
Except on Fridays, the resolution suspends the truck ban hours (6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m) in effect daily in Metro Manila. The truck ban suspension covers the following alternate routes:
Via Roxas Boulevard:
- From Port Area to Cavitex (southbound)
- From Pier take Road 10 straight to Roxas Boulevard to Cavitex
- From Port Area to SLEX
- From Pier take Road 10, A. Bonifacio Avenue straight to Roxas Boulevard left to Quirino Avenue to Osmeña Highway to SLEX
- From SLEX/Cavitex to Port Area (northbound)
- From Cavitex straight to Roxas Boulevard to Port Area
- From SLEX straight to Osmeña Highway right to Quirino
Northern Truck Route:
- From Port Area to NLEX
- From Bonifacio Drive turn right to C3, turn left to A. Bonifacio to NLEX/destination
- From NLEX to Port Area
- Balintawak to A. Bonifacio turn right to C3, left to Road 10 to destination
Not covered by the resolution is EDSA, where a total truck ban is still observed, as well as C5 Road, Katipunan Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, and all other routes not mentioned.
The resolution covers all cargo and heavy trucks with gross capacity weight of more than 4,500 kilograms.
Also, container trucks are prohibited from parking at any time on A. Bonifacio Avenue up to Del Pan Bridge and other key roads designated by the City of Manila.
Moreover, during the ban hours, trucks should be regulated and dispatched by port operators International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and Asian Terminals Inc. at a rate not exceeding 100 container trucks per hour.
Truckers are confined only to the innermost lane along Roxas Boulevard and should strictly follow the one-lane policy to avoid blacklisting and the payment of fines and penalties.
The MMC will review and study the effect of the six-month policy and recommend any extension or amendments as needed.
Furthermore, the MMC has the authority to change the truck routes and hours at any time to adjust to government infrastructure projects in the metro.
The City of Manila implemented a 24/7 express trade lane on specific routes that took effect May 31. No memo has since been issued on such regulation. — Roumina Pablo
