Trucks block Manila roads as ports shut down

Photo from the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

THE shutdown of operations at the South Harbor and the Manila International Container Terminal has led to heavy traffic jams on some Manila streets as the number of trucks trying to enter the ports builds up.

The Manila City government on Friday advised motorists to avoid Roxas Boulevard, R10 and other adjacent roads in Manila that lead to and from the Port Area because of the heavy traffic being experienced there. The long queue of stationary trucks has occupied at least two lanes of some city roads.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) informed the local government that operations in South Harbor have been “shut down” since Thursday because of “severe wind disturbance.” The PPA said intermittent wind speed patterns and uncertainty in operations caused a “stop-go” situation of port operations, or a full suspension, according to a report published today in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The shutdown caused container trucks to remain at the ports’ gates.

The Inquirer quoted Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno as saying that heavy traffic could last until Friday night.

The city government said it is coordinating with PPA and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to assist motorists, according to the Inquirer.