Group wants Roxas Boulevard truck ban lifted

MANILA, Philippines - A multi-sectoral group involved in port operations yesterday called on the government to make Roxas Boulevard open to trucks during the Christmas holiday period in a bid to decongest the Port of Manila and keep trucks and goods moving.

“While there has been significant progress in the port problem, it is still being solved. We are grateful for efforts of groups and organizations that have addressed this problem, however concerted action on the remaining challenges is crucial,” said Ernesto Ordoñez, president of the Federation of Philippine Industries, which is an active participant in the Port Congestion Multi-Sectoral Working Group (PC-MWG).

According to the group, any gains made in the bid to decongest the Manila Port have been “erased” by the truck ban on Roxas Boulevard.

“More than 30 percent of the commercial vehicles that use the ports ply Roxas Boulevard. And shutting down the highway to trucks during the holidays dramatically lowers the efficiency of trade to and from the ports. A single day’s worth of truck ban along Roxas can actually erase many days of gains in terms of reducing port congestion,” the group said in a statament.

According to Ordoñez, of the 6,000 trucks that use the Port of Manila daily, 2,000 pass through Roxas Boulevard.

Recently, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) re-imposed the ban on trucks along Roxas Boulevard to make way for the visit of Pope Francis in Manila next month.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the truck ban aims to ease traffic congestion in the metropolis during the Christmas season, the visit of Pope Francis to the country in January next year and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.