Erap denies planning to reimpose truck ban

MANILA, Philippines - Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada denied yesterday that he would re-implement the daytime truck ban.

Estrada said his memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Secretary to the Cabinet Jose Rene Almendras and Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson still stands.

“I don’t have plans to re-implement the daytime truck ban yet. I will let the Christmas season finish. It is not true,” the former president said.

Estrada implemented the truck ban last February, wherein trucks were prevented from entering Manila between 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., to decongest the traffic in the city.

This resulted in cargoes piling up at the Port of Manila (POM) and the Manila International Container Port (MICP), clogging the two ports and raising port utilization to more than 100 percent.

After seven months, Mayor Estrada lifted the truck ban last September in response to the appeal of the national government.

Estrada said he would hold off implementing the daytime truck ban until January next year while the system made by the national government remains in effect to decongest the Port of Manila.

He enforced the daytime truck ban, which runs from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. from Mondays to Saturdays on Feb. 5 and it took effect later that month.

Estrada decided on Sept. 13 to indefinitely lift the daytime truck ban to give the national government a free hand in solving the traffic woes in Manila.

“I have no plans at all. I don’t know where they got that idea,” Estrada told.

Port area sources said that more shipments have been arriving at the ports of Manila not only in anticipation of the Christmas season but also because some importers want to avoid the re-implementation of the daytime truck ban.

Importers have reportedly decided to bring in their shipments early following reports that Estrada will again enforce the truck ban that reportedly delayed the transport of shipping containers from the ports.

A source told The STAR that some importers opted to be a step ahead of Estrada’s plan and have doubled their orders from abroad.

The source said some importers, such as those from the construction sector, are no longer waiting for January next year to bring in their imported construction materials, which they usually did in time for the summer/construction months.

They decided to have their materials delivered earlier to ensure that they would not experience delivery delays just in case Estrada decides to re-implement the truck ban.

The source said perishable goods would not be affected since they are kept fresh on board refrigerated containers.

“For as long as they are inside vessels that are refrigerated, these would not rot.” – With Evelyn Macairan