Manila truck ban: Here’s where trucks can pass

MANILA, Philippines – The city government of Manila on Saturday, February 22, identified specific routes that trucks can take in light of its modified daytime truck ban.

The controversial rule, announced early February, was originally set to ban trucks outright from its roads, but was modified to allow for a 5-hour window after business owners and truckers opposed the idea. 

It will be implemented starting Monday, February 24.

The new routes are:

• From NLEX/A. Bonifacio to North Harbor: Take Circumferential Road 2 (C2), turn left to Road 10 (R-10) to North Harbor
• From North Harbor to the north: From North Harbor, turn left to R-10 up to Circumferential Road 3 (C3), then onwards to destination
• From the Manila Harbor Center Industrial Park to the north: Trucks are allowed to turn right to R-10 and make a U-turn before Capulong Street to C2, onwards to destination
• From Osmeña Highway to South Harbor: Turn right to Quirino Ave, using left-innermost lane, turn left to Quirino Ave. Extension, left to UN Avenue, using right innermost lane then right to Romualdez St then left to Ayala Blvd straight to Finance St., left to Padre Burgos Str, right to Roxas Blvd, then left to 25th St towards port of destination
• From South Harbor to the south: Right to Roxas Blvd, left to Padre Burgos Str, up to Finance St then to Ayala Blvd and right to San Marcelino St, right to Quirino Ave Extension, right to Quirino Ave, then left to Osmeña Highway
• From North Harbor to the south: Take R-10 all the way to Roxas Blvd, or take the south truck route
• Southbound via Roxas Blvd: Trucks from the North or South Harbor may be allowed to pass through Roxas Blvd but should stay on the left innermost lane of the street, onwards to the city boundary

According to the rules, the intersection of Roxas Blvd and UN Avenue shall remain closed to traffic for all kinds of vehicles.

Trucks and delivery vehicles can be exempted from the specified routes, if they are transporting fast-moving or perishable commodities for pick-up and drop delivery.

Trucks are still not allowed to park on the specified truck routes.

The window hours – starting at 10 am and ending at 3 pm – shall be implemented for a period of 6 months. However, trucks carrying empty containers are still not covered by this ruling.

The original truck ban would have only allowed “cargo trucks, gravel and sand trucks, cement mixers and other heavy cargo trucks with 8 wheels and up or whose gross vehicle weights exceed 4,500 kilograms” to enter the city from 9 pm to 5 am, and only through specified routes.

Truckers and exporters earlier expressed concern that the evening window would be too short, disrupting businesses. 

Because of the opposition to the original ban, the implementation of the rule was delayed from February 10 to Monday.

The truck ban is the Philippine capital’s latest policy that hopes to improve heavy traffic in the congested city. – Rappler.com