Traffic all over the metro has worsened because of cargo trucks coming to and from the Manila pier. The irony is that letting these trucks loose on the roads is, for now, the best long-term solution for traffic to clear.
THE BACKGROUND
The ingress and egress of cargo trucks is very simple, at least in theory.
Once an imported cargo is stripped from the boat, it is transferred to different accredited warehouses of the Bureau of Customs where it is inspected and assessed. After BOC releases the cargo, trucks retrieve it from the warehouse and delivers it to clients.
The client’s warehouse then receives container, unloads it and sends it back to the port. The empty container is then loaded to the shipping vessels for reuse.
THE PROBLEM
For newly arrived containers: Now imagine our Port Area as a big pay parking lot where trucks line up and wait for their turn to load the container. This takes time: Each container needs to be carefully locked in place to the truck to avoid road accidents. This takes around 15-20 minutes per truck. One word: bottleneck.
For empty containers being returned: Let’s then imagine returning empty containers to be similar to paying at a carpark exit. This is where Manila’s truck ban created havoc: Truck carrying empty container vans were not allowed to travel in the city during day time.
The consequence? It forced all trucking companies to return empty container vans all at the same time.
If an empty container is not delivered in time for the scheduled departure of vessels, it left in storage at the Port Area until the vessel returns—that takes at least a month.
The consequence? Empty containers stack up and fill the whole port, preventing the unloading of newly arrived containers.
Due to the Port Area’s size and lahyout, there is only one are designated for trucks to return and load containers, so the truck line does get backed up pretty far. What used to be done in quarter of a day now takes anywhere from half day to 24 hours.
THE COST
Trucking rates have gone up 150 per cent because of the truck ban. Instead of the usual three trips a day, they can now make only one trip every 14 hours.
Shipping lines also charge a daily penalty for containers not returned to them. So those empty containers in the Port Area are not only eating up space, they are also costing truck companies a lot of money to maintain.
THE SOLUTION
By lifting the truck ban, empty containers can now be returned any time, and the flow will slowly go back to normal.
But beyond that, the Port Area needs structural changes and equipment upgrades. One of them is widening or assigning more areas for trucks to load and unload containers.
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