TRUCKMAGEDDON OVERWHELMS ROXAS BOULEVARD
From Thursday night until yesterday morning, motorists were stuck in traffic along Roxas Boulevard in Manila and Pasay City.
Cargo trucks jammed the road going to the South Harbor following the partial shutdown of operations at the port after vessels were not allowed to sail due to bad weather.
The traffic jam also affected Lacson Avenue, España Boulevard, Otis street in Paco, Nagtahan Bridge, Quirino Avenue and side streets leading to Manila’s main roads since Thursday night.
The Philippine Port Authority (PPA) said the Asian Terminals Inc., which operates the South Harbor, was instructed to suspend truck bookings on Thursday night when ships were not allowed to sail due to strong winds brought by Typhoon Hannah.
PPA general manager Jay Santiago said the suspension of truck bookings caused heavy traffic along Roxas Boulevard after around 500 trucks were stuck on the road.
“Depending on the improvement of the weather, we should be able to accommodate the trucks and clear out the traffic by tomorrow (today),” Santiago told The
STAR yesterday. The PPA also said magnetic lifter operators, tasked to transfer shipping containers to cargo vessels, could not use the equipment due to strong winds.
Santiago said the PPA had coordinated with the Manila traffic bureau and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to decongest Roxas Boulevard.
The Department of Transportation said in a separate statement that the port operations in Southern Luzon, which include Batangas, Romblon and Quezon, were also suspended and the trips of vessels canceled due to bad weather.
Mayor Isko Moreno called an emergency meeting with representatives of the truckers’ association and the PPA, blaming the traffic problem on undisciplined truck drivers.
He warned that the city government will shut down port operations if truckers do not follow traffic rules.
“The (truck) lane is given to them but it is not a right. It is a privilege that can be taken anytime,” Moreno said.