The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has temporarily suspended mandatory weighing of outbound containers and roll on-roll off vehicles at the North Port, days after operator Manila North Harbour Port, Inc (MNHPI) implemented the scheme.
Port District Manager for Manila and Northern Luzon engineer Constante Fariñas in a memorandum said the policy at the North Port, formerly the Manila North Harbor, was shelved following complaints from stakeholders of delays due to longer queuing time of cargoes, vessels, and trucks.
Specifically, the Integrated North Harbor Truckers Association has complained of long queuing and congestion at the pier and weighing fees charged per weighing and not per container.
The group also said the issues of economic and logistics repercussion and availability of appropriate equipment in other ports have yet to be resolved. There is, in addition, no resolution by the Department of Public Works and Highways of Republic Act 8794 (anti-truck overloading law) which should, among others, align the maximum gross vehicle weight with the weight limit set by PPA.
“In the best interest of the service and after due consideration of the necessary improvements that must be put in place, please be advised of the temporary suspension of the implementation of the mandatory weighing of outbound containers and Ro-Ro vehicles at the North Harbor effective immediately,” Fariñas said.
“This office will also be looking for improvements in order to consider the lifting of the said suspension.”
In order to consider lifting the suspension, PPA said MNHPI should:
1. Provide additional three weighbridge equipment and facilities to meet peak demand, such as heavy container influx in the afternoon and after truck-ban hours at night. At present, MNHPI only has two weighbridges and 1 axle weigher.
2. Charge weighing fees totaling P80 per container/ro-ro vehicle, and not charge per weighing in accordance with Sec. 4.1 (Weighbridge Fee) of PPA administrative order number 06-2011.
3. Take the actual weight of each individual container for tandem/back-to-back containers loaded only by a truck/trailer to determine if said individual container is not overloaded before vessel loading operations. In this situation, weighing fees for each individual container shall be paid to and collected by MNHPI.
4. Acknowledge that the container weighing fees shall be for the account of the cargo owner/shipper and not the trucker. MNHPI shall establish a collection system where the total cargo handling charges, including the weighing services, shall be paid by the cargo owner/shipper. The collection system shall ensure payments are settled prior to loading of outbound cargoes to carrying vessel. No collection shall be done at the weighing station.
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