Talks on long-term solutions to Manila truck ban urged

Local and foreign business groups have warned anew of serious damage to the economy due to Manila’s expanded truck ban when the volume of trucks going in and out of the city’s port picks up in the next two months.

This will thus require better and more inclusive solutions to  ensure a more efficient use of the Manila port and better usage of the ones in Batangas and Subic, the Joint Foreign Chambers and Semiconductor and Electronics Industries of the Philippines Inc. said in a joint statement issued on Sunday.

“We are aware that individual stakeholders discuss solutions with individual affected parties at the moment, but the fact remains that only an inclusive stakeholders’ roundtable can assess the magnitude and complexity of the issue and develop short, midterm and long-term solutions for the Manila port and the usage of the ports of Batangas and Subic,” the groups explained.

“The business community is of the opinion that such roundtable should be headed by the national government, preferably a senior Cabinet member, to drive the search for solutions and see to it that those are implemented. In our opinion, that inclusive roundtable should take place now, before the trade volume picks up in a month or two, which will aggravate the logistics situation,” they added.

“Based on discussions we have had with some stakeholders, we firmly believe that a steady, well-managed flow of trucks with an effective appointment system will create less traffic disruption, will allow a more effective use of the port facilities and will maintain related cost at a reasonable level flow of imports and exports going [in and out of the country],” the groups said.

The truck ban policy being implemented in the City of Manila bans eight-wheelers and vehicles with a gross weight of above 4,500 kilograms from plying Manila’s streets between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. A temporary concession was offered by the city government allowing trucks to ply its streets between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the next six months.

The truck ban, in turn, prompted trucking firms to hike their respective hauling charges by an average of 50 percent, a move that may lead to an increase in the prices of goods for end-consumers. The trucking firms, however, are now being probed by the trade department for possible collusion.

Other business groups such as the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP), Federation of Philippine Industries and the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry have since warned that the expanded daytime truck ban will only cripple businesses and likely result in a cut in the growth of exports and production, job losses and potential company closures should it be allowed to continue.

The ECCP has even put forward solutions to address the logistics problem at the Manila port, including the elimination of an all truck-delivery ban and the formulation of a proper, coordinated and efficient 24-hour truck route regulation system.