Suspend truck ban for three months, House panel urges Manila govt

As more business owners complain about the enormous losses they are incurring as a result of the truck ban, a House panel has unanimously adopted a draft resolution urging the Manila city government to impose a three-month moratorium on its daytime truck ban.

 

On Wednesday, the House committee on Metro Manila development voted to adopt the omnibus resolution after discussing the truck ban’s economic effects in a three-hour hearing with stakeholders from the government and private sector.

 

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, the committee chairman, said truckers should be given enough time to move containers out from the congested ports in Manila. As many as 15,000 containers are stuck in the area because trucks are only allowed to ply their routes on certain hours.

 

“[We need] at least three months para makita natin kung mare-restore ang [normal] economic situation prior to the passing of the ordinance [on truck ban],” he said.

 

According to Castelo, the committee will recommend in its resolution the immediate suspension of the truck ban ordinance as early as next week.

 

A copy of the resolution will be personally delivered by Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing.

 

Asked what the House panel will do if former president and incumbent Manila Mayor Estrada ignores the resolution, Castelo said: "Bahala na si Congressman Bagatsing doon."

 

Last February, the local government barred cargo trucks from Manila's main thoroughfares from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., a move that created a backlog in deliveries to, through and from the Port of Manila. 

 

Covered by the ban are cargo trucks, gravel and sand trucks, cement mixers, eight-wheelers and any truck with a gross vehicle weight of at least 4,500 kilograms. 

 

Effects of truck ban

 

The Association of Shipping Lines Inc. (AISL) said it has lost $4.5 billion since February because of the truck ban.

 

Albert Suansing, executive director of the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP), said they had to increase trucking rates by as much as 50 percent because of the prolonged time it is now taking trucks to complete their trip.

 

Prior to the implementation of the truck ban, trucks were able to make more than 5,500 trips in a span of 24 hours. This has dwindled to 2,000 trips after the local ordinance was put in place, he said.

 

“’Yung tinatawag nating period of engagement o yung panahong inarkila ng may-ari ng kargamento ‘yung truck para gamitin ay humaba… Ang period of engagement na natin ngayon ay 43 hours. Maski ‘yung maikling biyahe mula sa port hanggang Binondo, inaabot na ng four days kada biyahe,” Suansing said.

 

Bagatsing voiced his support for the implementation of a truck ban moratorium early in the hearing, saying trucks should be allowed to travel until such a time that the Port of Manila has been decongested.

 

“Bumalik muna tayo sa dati until such a time na lahat ng nasa pier ay nailabas na. We have to bear out the traffic now kaysa tumaas ang presyo ng mga bilihin in the coming months,” he said.

 

Should Estrada temporarily suspends the implementation of the truck ban, it will be considered an early Christmas gift by companies and consumers, Bagatsing said.

 

“Pamasko na lang niya (Estrada) ‘yung truck ban. Hayaan lang niyang matanggal ‘yung cargo doon. Pag nag-normalize na, iimpose na niya ‘yung truck ban ulit,” he said.