The Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) is planning to strictly implement the Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS) ahead of schedule if the current rate of compliance does not improve.
In an official advisory, MICT management said that less than half of the expected users of TABS have so far registered since the new system went live on October 1, 2015, according to the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. News and Features.
TABS is an online system that enables port stakeholders to select the time slots for delivering and withdrawing cargoes. The government approved-project is seen to help ease the persistent problem of road congestion.
“After 7 weeks of our TABS roll out, the compliance rate of the market is only at 40% which shows that we still have a high number of port users that do not use TABS,” MICT said.
“As part of our gradual implementation plan, we are targeting January 1, 2016 to strictly implement TABS with the condition that we will get the cooperation of the market and improve its compliance to at least 70%. Should the compliance rate remain the same, management will be forced to do the strict implementation on an earlier date,” the port operator added.
Philexport noted that to give extra time to port users to register and become familiar with the system, MICT had softened its policy and agreed to allow non-registered TABS parties to enter the port premises without prior online booking. However, the compliance rate has not been growing since October, it added.
Based on the planned strict implementation phase of TABS, the port operator said the timetable calls for points acquisition by users in December and roll out of the points system on January 1, 2016.
Under the points system, truck operators will be rewarded for booking and transiting Manila during low traffic periods, and penalized when they arrive late, do not show up, or did not book their arrival.
According to MICT, for exporters that incur negative points, loading of their containers received at the terminal will be put on hold. For importers that earn a negative balance, succeeding transactions will be put on hold, i.e., “additional gate passes will not be processed.”
Exemption from truck ban
Meanwhile, the advisory said MICT is making progress on efforts to exempt trucks with TABS appointments from the Metro Manila truck ban. Port users earlier aired their concern about the lack of a formal document of exemption from the truck ban to show traffic enforcers.
“We are also close to getting the truck ban exemption for TABS which we are pushing to release immediately to hasten the achievement of a 100% compliance rate. We will continue to update everyone on this,” MICT said.
Cabinet Secretary and head of the Cabinet Cluster on Port Decongestion Jose Rene Almendras earlier said trucks with TABS bookings will be exempt from the re-imposed Metropolitan Manila Development Authority truck ban. – Roumina Pablo
