Customs chief wants to test 24/7 truck operations

MANILA, Philippines - Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina yesterday pushed for a 24/7 truck system that would help decongest traffic since the estimated 8,000 trucks that pass through Metro Manila daily would be spread throughout the day.

Lina said that the loading and unloading of cargo from ports could be done 24 hours a day, seven days a week now that the two private port operators – Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) of Port of Manila (POM) and International Container Terminals Services Inc. (ICTSI) of the Manila International Container Port (MICP) – would fully implement the Terminal Appointment Booking System.

The TABS will be fully implemented today. 

In an earlier statement, the ICTSI said that the TABS is seen as a proactive alternative to counterproductive truck bans.

TABS is an electronic platform for booking containers in the two international ports of Manila. Designed to optimize the entry and exit of containerized cargo to and from MICT, TABS was developed in response to restrictive road policies introduced to combat the congestion of Manila ports in 2014 as a result of the truck ban imposed by the Manila city government.

“The implementation of TABS is a move in the right direction. It is the port sector’s contribution to easing road congestion in the Philippine capital by implementing a system that will schedule movements of trucks in and out of port,” MICT general manager Mohamed Ghandar said.

The ATI said last Tuesday in a statement that it’s all systems go for the implementation of TABS. Since early September the port operator has started conducting pilot testing of the system.  

Lina said that through the web-based TABS, importers, brokers, truckers and exporters are given a 24-hour opportunity to bring in or get their shipment out from the two main ports in Manila. 

“Now that the booking appointment has been set up, we could divide the arrival of the trucks throughout the 24-hour period so there would no longer be long queues that create traffic,” said Lina.

If 8,000 trucks would be spread out equally during the 24-hour day, about 333 could be processed at the ports per hour.

He added that there should also be coordination with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units so they would be informed of trucks that have availed themselves of TABS and identify the trucks violating the reimposed truck ban rules.

The traffic enforcers, through their cellular phones, could get the license plate numbers of the trucks that have a TABS appointment and have clearance to travel.

When asked if the trucking companies that would avail themselves of the TABS would be exempted from the 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. truck ban, Lina said that he has no information yet if any company has been given an exemption.

However, he added that “how I wish (the TABS would result in exemption) because this would speed our release of shipments because if the trucks would arrive all at the same time, this would result in chaos.”

He also suggested that truckers make use of Sundays when traffic is light.