Manila container terminal to implement truck appointment system

International Container Terminal Services Inc., operator of the Manila International Container Terminal, said the Terminal Appointment Booking System is a “proactive alternative” to truck bans.    They’re doing it in Los Angeles and Long Beach, and now they’re doing it in the Philippines.
   International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) said its Manila container terminal has started a truck appointment system for “selected user groups” and will do a full launch of the system next month.
   The Manila International Container Terminal said its Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS) will be a “proactive alternative to counterproductive truck bans” and is “designed to optimize the entry and exit of containerized cargo to and from MICT.”
   ICTSI said TABS was developed in response to restrictive road policies that were introduced to combat the congestion of Manila ports in 2014 as a result of a truck ban imposed by the Manila City Government.
   “It is the port sector’s contribution to easing road congestion in the Philippine capital by implementing a system that will schedule movements of trucks in and out of the port,” Mohamed Ghandar, MICT general manager, said in a statement. “Movement of trade in the Port of Manila, specifically that of container-handling trucks, has to co-exist with the movement of the commuting public.”
   “TABS will address the current unpredictable surge of trucks that ply the roads by scheduling the time slots for container pickup and drop-offs,” said ICTSI. “Truckers can increase their trips per day, cargo owners can move their goods more promptly, and terminals can allocate resources more efficiently due to the predictable volume and schedule.”
   TABS is scheduled for officially launch in October 2015. The soft launch comes ahead of the expected surge in economic productivity in Manila in September as shipments increase in preparation for the holiday season.