QC also eyes special lane for trucks

MANILA, Philippines – To ease traffic congestion along major city roads, the Quezon City government will also designate dedicated truck lanes similar to those earlier opened in other cities in the capital.

Mayor Herbert Bautista identified Congressional Avenue, Mindanao Avenue and Visayas Avenue as areas where truck lanes would be opened. The plan has been referred to the local government’s Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) for implementation.

Elmo San Diego, DPOS chief, said the three major thoroughfares are the routes most taken by truckers in the city. “To avoid swerving and control the trucks, we’ll have dedicated lanes. That’s the agreement with the (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority),” San Diego said Saturday.

San Diego said the lane restriction for trucks would be enforced anytime soon as the MMDA and Quezon City officials had scheduled a meeting on Monday to iron out details, such as having the roads marked for the new traffic measure.

In February, Manila started enforcing a total daytime truck ban. While it eased traffic in the capital, the measure affected neighboring cities like Quezon City and Caloocan. It also created a backlog in cargo deliveries to and from the ports in Manila.

To address the effect on business, the MMDA approved a 24-hour express truck lane on Roxas Boulevard, which passes through Manila, Pasay and Parañaque.

Manila recently created another express lane on Quirino Avenue and Osmeña Highway to connect the port area to South Superhighway.

On Friday, the MMDA said it would designate a lane for trucks also on C-5. The measure was tested Saturday and would be fully implemented Monday.