Truck (ban) ni Erap

During the 28th EDSA People Power Anniversary the other day, there was hardly any traffic along the usual chokepoints, with travel time from Roxas Boulevard to Trinoma taking about half an hour, while going from Makati to Escolta took 20-25 minutes. Although a major reason was the nationwide school holiday, the smooth flow was like a pipe dream – something that Manila residents say is now possible with the implementation of a truck ban by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

Eight-wheeler trucks and other delivery vehicles carrying cargo of over 4,500 kilograms are barred from plying the streets of Manila to ease the burden of residents who have been suffering from the monstrous traffic congestion for decades, Mayor Erap said. Following a dialogue with truck drivers, the mayor modified the original schedule and set window hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., saying this will be implemented for six months.

According to Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, all they want is to reduce the congestion and traffic buildup during peak hours by banning trucks from the road at morning hours when people and students rush to work and school, then impose the truck ban again as people go home late afternoon until early evening. Some business groups have criticized the ban, saying the government stands to lose to billions of pesos in revenues, warning of absolute chaos and late deliveries if all 6,000 trucks move cargo almost simultaneously during the window hours instead of the 24/7 schedules they enjoyed earlier. Other groups however like the Philippine Exporters Confederation and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry were more receptive, saying traffic is hampering the city from implementing more plans for growth and development.

A study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) disclosed that the country’s economy could lose up to P6 billion everyday by 2030 due to traffic congestion in urban areas. A JICA official also noted that businesses have been losing as much as P2.4 billion every day since 2012 due to heavy traffic in Metro Manila. As pointed out by Moreno, the losses due to late deliveries are “peanuts” compared to the trillions lost because of heavy traffic day in and day out. And that doesn’t even take into account the impact that traffic has on people’s health due to air pollution related illnesses.

Studies have confirmed that a major source of air pollution is traffic due to the noxious emissions from vehicles especially when they are stalled on the roads, with the engines idling and spewing deadly pollutants. In Beijing, people are dying due to the toxic air quality that scientists are likening to “nuclear winter,” with the dense smog causing flights to be grounded and endangering agricultural products – not to mention the lungs of people. Hong Kong is also seeing the worst kind of air pollution in 18 years, with dangerously high levels of toxicity noted in shopping districts. Heavy traffic is to blame for worsening roadside air pollution, an environmentalist averred, explaining that high-rise buildings are causing a “wall effect” that makes it difficult to disperse air pollutants.

Even the UK has not been spared, with Buckingham Palace suffering from the worst air pollution due to excessive levels (four times the legal limit) of nitrogen dioxide released by diesel-run vehicles. In fact, the European Commission is taking legal action against the UK, which could be slapped with £300 million a year in fines plus embarrassing court appearances. The European Commission said most nitrogen dioxide originates in traffic fumes, causing major respiratory problems and leading to premature death. The World Health Organization confirmed that air pollution causes heart attacks and cancer, with children being most vulnerable as tiny particulates can penetrate the lungs.

In Metro Manila, the heavy volume of vehicles is becoming unsustainable even with the number coding scheme which is not effective. We absolutely need an efficient mass transport system – something we failed to develop because we did not foresee the future. So now people line up for one hour to get a ticket and spend another hour trying to squeeze inside congested MRT trains.  

Mayor Erap is right – we have to give the truck ban a try and prioritize the good of the majority. Besides, formulas have to be tried and tested to see if these work, instead of criticizing a proposed solution even before it gets a chance to work. Opponents equate the truck ban to economic sabotage, but nothing can be worse sabotage than more horrific traffic congestion and many people dying of air pollution-related illnesses perhaps five years down the line.

Alphaland Marina to continue

Alphaland Corporation (AC) said the Alphaland Marina Club project will continue despite a dispute with the Wenceslao Group (WG). Alphaland clarified that in 2007, it bought 10 hectares of land at the Manila Bay reclamation area from the Wenceslao Group for P3 billion, with the property fully titled to Alphaland since then. Alphaland said that in 2010, the Wenceslao Group proposed a 50-50 joint venture wherein the latter would contribute its 22 hectares while the former would contribute its 10 hectares plus P1 billion in cash and P1.47 billion in Alphaland shares.

This gave birth to Alphaland Bay City Corporation to be managed by the Alphaland group. The Wenceslao Group received the cash and shares but reportedly failed to contribute the entire 22 hectares to the joint venture, prompting AC to call its partner in default and consequently filing a suit. In 2012, Alphaland announced the Marina project to be built on the 10 hectares it bought – which the Wenceslao Group is now claiming as part of the joint venture. 

Alphaland is gearing up for a legal battle, saying it intends to seek legal damages against the Wenceslao Group.

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