‘24-hr Last Mile Route’ for trucks from Manila port to start Monday; heavy traffic expected

(Updated 2:10 p.m.) Traffic in Metro Manila is expected to be heavy on Monday as the two-week implementation of the "24-hour Last Mile Route" for trucks coming from and going to Manila ports starts, a television report said.

According to a report by Steve Dailisan on  "Balitanghali," trucks with “Special Truck Lane Pass (Last Mile)” stickers and painted "Lasmayl" tags from the Metro Manila Development Authority will be allowed to travel trade lanes on designated truck routes for 24 hours.

Trucks tagged for the last mile route will be able to travel the main roads from September 8 to September 21, even during the truck ban hours, as long as they carry cargo for shipment to their designated end-points, the report added.

Designated truck routes include A. Bonifacio Avenue coming from NLEX, passing through C-3 and Caloocan, straight to Road 10 to Manila's ports. Trucks coming from CAVITEX may go straight on Roxas Blvd. to the port area.

Moreover, trucks coming from Southern Luzon may pass through Osmeña Highway-Quirino to Roxas Boulevard until it enters the port.

According to the MMDA, this policy is part of an agreement with Task Force Pantalan to ease congestion at Manila ports.

MMDA aims to reduce the number of trucks in the port area by at least 20,000.

Following this two-week policy, motorists can expect heavy traffic on the main roads in Metro Manila for the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, the report quoted the MMDA as saying it is ready to open counterflow lanes at the NLEX as well as in Delpan Bridge in case of traffic build up in some areas.

They are also planning to open up to two lanes on Road 10 to avoid repeating the heavy traffic experienced by motorists last Friday.

MMDA Assistant Genral Manager for Operations Atty. Emerson Carlos said only trucks with the special stickers and painted tags may travel via the designated truck routes. Trucks without these stickers are still subject to the Manila truck ban policy.

Under the "last mile" route policy, trucks with stickers and tags still cannot pass through EDSA, Katipunan, Ortigas, Recto and Taft Avenue.

As of Sunday morning, some 120 trucks have been tagged by MMDA's Task Force Pantalan for the last mile route.  — Bianca Rose Dabu /LBG, GMA News