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Starting January 15, cargo releasing from Cebu International Port will be from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
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The new policy will align with truck bans of the local government and address clogging of roads leading to the pier during daytime
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Trucks may not release or pull out cargo from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily
Starting January 15, cargo releasing from Cebu International Port (CIP) will be carried out from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. to align with truck bans to be implemented by the local government and to address clogging of vehicles on roads leading to the pier during daytime.
The new policy was agreed upon in a consultative meeting on January 7, according to a report by Sugbo News, the official publication of the Cebu provincial government.
The agreement was made between Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Cebu Port Authority, Bureau of Customs, truckers groups, Land Transportation Office 7, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board 7, CIP cargo-handling operator Oriental Port and Allied Services Corp., Mandaue city government representatives, Consolacion mayor Joannes Alegado, and Liloan mayor Christina Frasco.
The new policy reportedly aims to ensure that truckers in Cebu can still fulfill their deliverables while the Cebu provincial government implements a truck ban to help ease traffic buildup in the towns of Consolacion and Liloan.
The truck ban in the two towns has been set from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily, during which time no cargoes can be released or pulled out from the port.
During the meeting Garcia also asked truckers to deliver their cargoes within the scheduled pull-out time if possible, to lessen the volume of traffic during daytime.
Trailer trucks and wing van trucks plying the roads going to and from CIP are seen as one of the causes of heavy traffic in the north.
Garcia said the traffic congestion in northern Cebu has not only affected the riding public but businesses as well.
Although a truck ban has been implemented, heavy traffic and congested volume of vehicles have still been observed in the northern Cebu highways, leading to the proposal to extend the truck ban.
Liloan mayor Frasco, for her part, said that while the extended ban may pose challenges for the trucking industry, the consolidation is seen as a coordinated solution to the traffic.
She added that the goal is to alleviate the heavy traffic for everyone, as “the lesser time on the road and the lesser time your trucks are stuck in traffic, the better it is for you (truckers association) because we all know the more delays there are, more losses that you incur.” – Roumina Pablo
