A group of truckers, importers and exporters on Monday held a protest rally at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) office in Manila and declared an operations holiday while the problem of congestion in the ports remain unresolved.

They urged the Malacañang to step into the worsening port problem and allow them to travel 24 hours daily for six months in order to speed up the transportation of cargoes in and out of the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and the Port or Manila, according to a report aired on GMA News TV’s “Balitanghali.”

The group said the root of the congestion was the daytime truck ban imposed by the City of Manila. The ordinance allowed trucks to ply the streets of Manila only from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The group said they will not release and transport cargoes from the ports, unless the government can present concrete solutions to the congestion problem.

The sole Express Trade Lane set up along Roxas Boulevard by the Manila government for truckers is not enough in speeding up the transportation of cargoes as it only causes severe traffic jams, they pointed out.

Situation has improved?

Customs Commissioner John Sevilla, who faced the protestors, said the situation in the ports has already improved as compared to the previous months.

The BOC and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are closely working together to address the situation, he said.

Among the measures that are now in place are the transfers of empty container vans to the ports of Subic, Batangas and Cavite, as well as the opening of the BOC warehouse during weekends for the transfer of overstaying containers and extending the registration for colorum trucks.

Sevilla said they have also contracted additional ships called “sweepers” that would transport the empty container vans to the ports of Cavite, Batangas and Subic. – Elizabeth Marcelo/ VS, GMA News via http/::www.gmanetwork.com:news:story:374280:economy:business:truckers-importers-exporters-declare-a-holiday-protest-vs-port-congestion