PPA: Lift truck ban 24/7 along specific routes

In an interview with GMA News Online, PPA General Manager Atty. Juan Sta. Ana said this was the best way to solve the problem of port congestion once and for all.

 

“The ultimate solution to the current congestion is the lifting of the truck ban 24/7 within specific routes going north of Manila up to NLEX, South of Manila down to SLEX and East of Manila for firms located in Ortigas, Pasig, Marikina, Cainta,” Sta. Ana said.

 

He added that so far, the PPA only has trading lanes connecting the port areas to the east.

 

“The Cabinet Cluster on Port Congestion has been constantly negotiating with the Metro Mayors for the lifting of the truck ban in only a third of the total roads in the Metro,” he explained.

 

According to Sta. Ana, many factors including healthy economy, various infrastructure projects and the truck ban are considered main problems causing port congestion.

 

But he clarified that the truck ban became a non-issue after Manila lifted it and implemented a truck express lane last June.

Still, he said the three-month day-time truck ban implemented mostly from March to May caused a pile-up of containers since it limited the movement of trucks in and out of the ports.

 

Port backlog

 

The MICT and Manila port currently have a backlog of 73,500 laden containers. There is also a backlog of 12,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of empty containers down from the previous 22,000 TEUs.

 

“We only need to clear approximately 8,500 TEUs to breach the 80% threshold level,” Sta. Ana said.

 

He added that the truck ban caused a backlog of 135,000 TEUs in three months since 5,000 TEUs came in daily while only up to 3,500 TEUs were discharged from both ports.

 

This resulted in a daily backlog of 1,500 TEUs considered to be an unprecedented level of congestion.

 

Prior to the truck ban, 5,000 TEUs are being unloaded by shipping lines and the discharge rate is also 5,000 TEUs plus stocks.

 

Aside from this, Sta. Ana also tackled the issue of port operations being too centralized in Manila.

 

He said that Manila attracts the most number of cargoes mainly because most of the manufacturing firms are concentrated in areas in close proximity to the Manila ports.

“To address this, we should find ways to convince the firms to relocate in other areas such as the Calabarzon and Subic. But again, the main market is in Manila, so the cargoes or products of these firms will still find its way back to Manila,” he explained.

 

In the end, Sta Ana said the PPA can only keep on reducing the backlog without the help of other sectors. He fears that continued port congestion may lead to higher prices of goods, unemployment and less economic growth if neglected.  —ELR, GMA News