The Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) in the Port of Manila has begun implementing a vehicle appointment system called the ‘Terminal Appointment Booking System’ (TABS) for selected user groups, according to a statement released by Manila terminal operator International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI).
TABS is an electronic platform for booking containers in the two international ports of Manila. Designed to optimise the entry and exit of containerised cargo to and from MICT, 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 the truck ban imposed by the Manila City government.
Mohamed Ghandar, General Manager at MICT, said: “The implementation of TABS is a move in the right direction. 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.
“With a booming economy and the ongoing major infrastructure projects in the metropolis comes the issue of road capacity. 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 seeks to address the current unpredictable surge of trucks that ply the roads by scheduling the time slots for container pick-up and drop-offs. 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.
With the system in place, the Manila port community should expect more organised truck movements and experience a managed and consistent flow of trucks spread across the entire day.
MICT Fact File: Since ICTSI’s takeover, MICT has increased its annual capacity five-fold, expanded its container handling fleet to make it the largest and the most modern container terminal in the Philippines, and switched from a manual control system to an integrated real-time IT terminal control system. MICT is ICTSI’s flagship operation.
ICTSI Fact File: Headquartered and established in 1988 in Manila, Philippines, ICTSI is in the business of port operations, management and development. ICTSI’s portfolio of terminals and projects spans developed and emerging market economies in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, and Africa. ICTSI has received global acclaim for its public-private partnerships with governments divesting of their port assets to the private sector.
