Rethinking traffic: The TABS experience

AS Metro Manila and other highly urbanized cities across the country continue to search for schemes and solutions to address vehicular traffic, one sector’s experience in handling the problem offers insights worth considering.

The Port of Manila (PoM) is part of the often-unseen engine that drives the fast-growing Philippine economy. Vessels from around the world dock there to pick up and deliver the goods that the country trades. An industry report released by Lloyd’s List and Containerization International ranked the PoM 36th among the top 100 Container Ports worldwide, on the back of the growth in the Philippines’ gross domestic product. According to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) website, the Port of Manila “registered a 4.3 percent hike in container throughput, with principal facility the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) posting a 4.4 percent increase in containers handled.” According to MICT operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), MICT broke the 2,000,020-foot equivalent units (TEU; in shipping, the measure of the number of container units) last year.