Intramuros road traffic driving motorists crazy

Motorists passing the back of the Bureau of Immigration building in Intramuros on their way to Port Area will have to bear with the horrendous traffic in the area a bit longer.

This, since the Intramuros Administration and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) do not appear to be too willing and eager to remedy the situation.

The stretch of road at the back of the BI building turns into a virtual daily nightmare for motorists as the road becomes a traffic bottleneck with parked and maneuvering large cargo trucks.

A portion of the bank of the Pasig River at the back of the BI buildings has been turned into a berthing area where cargoes are unloaded from barges. And as heavy equipment and cargo trucks maneuver for position, vehicular traffic is at a standstill.

Angry motorists also called on Manila Mayor Lito Atienza to take a direct hand in solving the problem as no responsible government official seemed willing to take responsibility.

When The Star contacted the Western Police District-Traffic Enforcement Group for action, police officials claimed the entire Intramuros area is under the administrative control of the Intramuros Administration (IA) by mandate of its charter.

But when contacted, IA officials pointed the finger of responsibility to the PPA, which it said, should be primarily responsible for traffic flow in the area as it is the one which issues permits to cargo truck operators.

"We have been receiving such complaints. The truth is that cargo trucks are not allowed inside Intramuros. However, two years ago, during the grains shortage problem, the PPA requested that it be allowed to use the banks of the Pasig River inside Intramuros for berthing. This, the PPA said, will speed-up the unloading of cargo," said Antonio Choapeck, assigned with the IA’s urban planning division.

"The PPA should be the one to fix the problem as they are the ones who issue the permits," he added.

Choapeck merely advised The STAR to write a letter of complaint addressed to IA administrator Dominador Ferrer Jr.

Choapeck said that the IA at best can only provide a security guard in the area. However, he admitted that there are times when the guard on-duty could be remiss and fail to handle the traffic situation.

The PPA, however, pointed back to IA as the one with jurisdiction over the regulation of the cargo trucks.

PPA’s port police administrative chief Gil Cabigan said in a meeting between their commander Chief Inspector Felix Bacalla and Ferrer, it was agreed upon that the Intramuros Administration has jurisdiction over the regulation of trucks.

If there is reportedly any authority PPA exercises over cargoes it would be along the banks of the Pasig River. Cabigan explained that PPA’s jurisdiction extends only from the sidewalk of Bonifacio Drive in Port Area from the Manila Hotel to Del Pan Bridge.

The STAR ended up being referred to Cabigan during a vain effort to talk to the PPA’s top officials, setting off a series of phone calls from the PPA head office down to the port district manager’s office, the south harbor port manager’s office and finally the port police.

In all phone calls made by The STAR, the respective heads of each office were all unavailable for comment although their assistants were kind enough to point to their lower echelons, only to end up being pointed back the other way.