EDITORIAL - Truck ban compromise

The trucks are back in the streets of Manila, and they can now use one lane of certain thoroughfares around the clock. This is part of the compromise reached by the city government with trucking operators. Businessmen must be sighing with relief that their shipments are finally moving.

Shipments at the Manila International Container Port, the country’s principal port, had piled up since late last year as the Bureau of Customs underwent a major reorganization. The truck ban imposed by the city government aggravated the cargo logjam. Motorists were happy over the much improved traffic, but business groups warned that the resulting delays in cargo release would mean higher prices of goods.

Now the truck ban has been modified – and the traffic jams are back, compounded by ongoing public works projects. One long-term solution to this problem won’t be operational in the near future: a modern, efficient railway system that can transport the bulk of shipments from the Manila port to destinations in Luzon.

But there are some proposals that can be pursued within the next two years. One is improving the Batangas port so it can accommodate shipments bound for Southern Tagalog and Bicol. The port is equipped for international container operations but is underutilized.

Another proposal worth pursuing is to assign time slots to trucks collecting or delivering cargo in Manila’s port. This should put an end to the long lines of trucks turning the streets around Port Area into a parking lot, causing monstrous traffic jams, as drivers jockey to be ahead in clearing Customs. Under this scheme, BOC personnel can be given a reasonable time frame for completing each step in cargo processing. Compliance with the schedules can form part of a regular performance audit that should improve efficiency and reduce opportunities for corruption in one of the most graft-ridden agencies.

No one wants traffic jams, including businessmen. But transporting cargo is an intrinsic part of economic activities. Business in Manila’s ports must not be reduced but should be made efficient.