Truck Ban Ordinance (Updated as of April 11, 2019)

1. What is the definition of cargo trucks?

Cargo Trucks are motor vehicles, principally intended for carrying cargo and having license
plates of the following classifications: "S","T", "TC", "TH", "TRLB", "HHB", and "TRJ", to include
other vehicles such as lorries, vans, tankers or other delivery vehicles, whether loaded or
empty, having a gross capacity weight of more than 4,500 kilos.
2. When and where is the Truck Ban implemented?
From 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. and from 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. everyday except Sundays and
Holidays, no cargo truck shall be allowed to travel or pass along:

• España Street through Quezon Avenue from Echague Street to the intersection of
West and South Avenue;
• Claro M. Recto Avenue from Legarda St. to del Pan Street;
• President Quirino Avenue from South Superhighway to Roxas Boulevard;
• P. Burgos St. through Ayala Boulevard, Legarda St., Magsayasay Boulevard and
Aurora Boulevard, from Roxas Boulevard to Boston Street;
• E. Rodriguez Avenue through Bonifacio Avenue from Welcome Rotonda to Shoe
Avenue;
• South Superhighway through Nagtahan Bridge and Alfonso Mendoza Street from
EDSA to Dimasalang Street;
• Taft Avenue through Quirino Avenue from Redemptorist Street to Plaza Lawton, to
include McArthur, Quezon and Jones Bridges;
• Bonifacio Drive through Roxas Boulevard and NAIA Road to Aduana Street to the
Ninoy Aquino International Airport;
• Rizal Avenue through Rizal Avenue Extension from Carriedo Street to the Bonifacio
Monument;
• Reina Regente Street through Abad Santos Street from Regina Regente Bridge to
Rizal Avenue Extension;
• Makati District Business;
• Ortigas Business District, Pasig City; and
• Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
3. Are there any alternate routes intended for cargo trucks who wish to go to and from
the Port Area?
Yes there are. The following alternate routes leading to and from the Port Area shall not be
included in the ban:
1. SOUTHERN TRUCK ROUTE
From Port Area to South Superhighway
Bonifacio Drive, left P. Burgos, Finance Road, Ayala Boulevard, right San Marcelino,
left President Quirino, right South Superhighway
From South Superhighway to Port Area
South Superhighway, right President Quirino, left United Nations Avenue, right
Romualdez Street, left Ayala, P. Burgos, right Bonifacio Drive, to Port Area.
2. NORTHERN TRUCK ROUTE
From Port Area to North Diversion Road
From Pier Zone, travelling northward along R-10, right Capulong towards Tayuman,
straight ahead towards Gov. Forbes, left Maria Clara, left Dimasalang, right
 Blumentritt, left A. Bonifacio and find your way to the north.
From North Diversion Road to Port Area
From the north and travelling southward along A. Bonifacio Avenue, right
Blumentritt, left Aurora Boulevard, right Dimasalang, right Aragon Street, right Gov.
Forbes towards Tayuman and Capulong, left R-10 to the Pier Zone.
3. EASTERN TRUCK ROUTE
From Port Area to Marcos Highway
From Pier Zone travelling northward along R-10, right Capulong towards Tayuman,
straight ahead towards Gov. Forbes, left Maria Clara, cross Dimasalang, straight
ahead towards Constancia, right at Constancia, left Laonglaan, straight towards D.
Tuazon Avenue, left Quezon Boulevard Extension, straight towards Elliptical Road,
take Don Mariano Marcos Avenue, left Aurora Boulevard, straight towards Marcos
Highway.
From Marcos Highway to Port Area
Marcos Higway straight towards Aurora Boulevard, right at Katipunan, straight
towards Tandang Sora, left Don Mariano Marcos Avenue, straight towards Elliptical
Road, take Quezon Boulevard Extension, straight towards West Avenue, right West
Avenue, left Del Monte Avenue, straight towards A. Bonifacio, left A. Bonifacio
Drive, right Blumentritt, left Aurora Boulevard, right Dimasalang, right /aragon
Street, right Gov. Forbes towards Tayuman and Capulong, left R-10 to the Pier
Zone.

4. Are there any areas in the Metropolis that implement a "Total Truck
Ban?"
Yes, there are. There is a "Total Truck Ban" along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA),
between Edsa Magallanes to North Avenue Quezon City everyday except Sundays, and
Holidays.
5. How much is the fine for violating the Truck Ban Ordinance?
Any person who violates the provisions of this Ordinance shall be punished by a fine of
P2,000.
Driver’s license of the Driver, who shall be apprehended for three (3 times), shall be
recommended by MMDA for suspension for one (1) year.

http://www.mmda.gov.ph/20-faq/299-truck-ban-ordinance.html

It was once said that traffic jams are a sign of a good economy.
If that's the case, our country must've been booming since the 1970s, with trucks plying through main
(and even interior) thoroughfares day in and day out. It was also in this decade that the Truck Ban
Ordinance saw its infancy and first implementation.
Fast forward and we still see trucks rushing along our streets on a daily basis. Trailers carrying massive
loads and cargo have become a rather common sight; but leading up to today, the Truck Ban of the 70s
has seen its share of lifting, amendments, and reimplementation. For all the reasons that led to its
temporary cancellations, perhaps the most common factor was this: congestion. Trucks occupy a lot of
space on the road given their sheer length and sizes, and thus their unrestricted presence on the roads
contributes significantly to traffic jams.
What have today is a scheme that was heavily based off of a 2015 amendment to the Ordinance. Just a
year before, it was forecast that the Philippine economy may suffer losses in the hundred billions with
trucks being closed off with no alternate routes for most of the day. In response to this, a special
Committee allowed the trucks to use only specific roads to decongest the ports and to help along with
the businesses' needs. Today, the provision of disallowing trucks on major roads in Metro Manila still
remains; however, certain cities within the Metro have come up with their own proposed Ban hours.

Let's start: what exactly is not allowed on major roads of Metro Manila during Truck Ban?
Per the MMDA, cargo trucks are defined as “motor vehicles, principally intended for carrying cargo
and having license plates of the following classifications: "S","T", "TC", "TH", "TRLB", "HHB", and
"TRJ", to include other vehicles such as lorries, vans, tankers or other delivery vehicles, whether
loaded or empty, having a gross capacity weight of more than 4,500 kilos”.
Simply put, any vehicle that crosses the weight threshold of 4,500 kilos are placed under the Truck Ban
and must follow its window hours and use only the allowed routes. If you've seen what look like orange
mats on the side of the roads with traffic enforcers looking like they are weighing trucks, it's because
they are. They take cargo trucks very seriously.
Next up is when and where is the Truck Ban implemented? Again, per the MMDA:
From 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. and from 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. every day except Sundays and Holidays,
no cargo truck shall be allowed to travel or pass along:
• España Street through Quezon Avenue from Echague Street to the intersection of West
and South Avenue;
•
• Claro M. Recto Avenue from Legarda St. to del Pan Street;
•
• President Quirino Avenue from South Superhighway to Roxas Boulevard;
•

• P. Burgos St. through Ayala Boulevard, Legarda St., Magsayasay Boulevard and Aurora
Boulevard, from Roxas Boulevard to Boston Street;
•
• E. Rodriguez Avenue through Bonifacio Avenue from Welcome Rotonda to Shoe
Avenue;
•

• South Superhighway through Nagtahan Bridge and Alfonso Mendoza Street from EDSA
to Dimasalang Street;
• Taft Avenue through Quirino Avenue from Redemptorist Street to Plaza Lawton, to
include McArthur, Quezon and Jones Bridges;
•
• Bonifacio Drive through Roxas Boulevard and NAIA Road to Aduana Street to the
Ninoy Aquino International Airport;
•
• Rizal Avenue through Rizal Avenue Extension from Carriedo Street to the Bonifacio
Monument;
•
• Reina Regente Street through Abad Santos Street from Regina Regente Bridge to Rizal
Avenue Extension;
•
• Makati District Business;
• Ortigas Business District, Pasig City; and
• Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
It is very clear that within the said times if a vehicle falls under the definition of what a (cargo) truck is,
it cannot use these main roads in Metro Manila. But are there alternatives that they can use, say, to go
to and from the Port Area, at least? Yes, there are, and these are:
Northern Truck Route
From Port Area to North Diversion Road
From Pier Zone, traveling northward along R-10, right Capulong towards Tayuman, straight ahead
towards Gov. Forbes, left Maria Clara, left Dimasalang, right Blumentritt, left A. Bonifacio and find
your way to the north.
From North Diversion Road to Port Area
From the north and traveling southward along A. Bonifacio Avenue, right Blumentritt, left Aurora
Boulevard, right Dimasalang, right Aragon Street, right Gov. Forbes towards Tayuman and Capulong,
left R-10 to the Pier Zone.
Southern Truck Route
From Port Area to South Superhighway
Bonifacio Drive, left P. Burgos, Finance Road, Ayala Boulevard, right San Marcelino, left President
Quirino, right South Superhighway
From South Superhighway to Port Area
South Superhighway, right President Quirino, left United Nations Avenue, right Romualdez Street, left
Ayala, P. Burgos, right Bonifacio Drive, to Port Area.
Eastern Truck Route
From Port Area to Marcos Highway
From Pier Zone travelling northward along R-10, right Capulong towards Tayuman, straight ahead
towards Gov. Forbes, left Maria Clara, cross Dimasalang, straight ahead towards Constancia, right at
Constancia, left Laonglaan, straight towards D. Tuazon Avenue, left Quezon Boulevard Extension,
straight towards Elliptical Road, take Don Mariano Marcos Avenue, left Aurora Boulevard, straight
towards Marcos Highway.
From Marcos Highway to Port Area
Marcos Highway straight towards Aurora Boulevard, right at Katipunan, straight towards Tandang
Sora, left Don Mariano Marcos Avenue, straight towards Elliptical Road, take Quezon Boulevard
Extension, straight towards West Avenue, right West Avenue, left Del Monte Avenue, straight towards
A. Bonifacio, left A. Bonifacio Drive, right Blumentritt, left Aurora Boulevard, right Dimasalang,
right /Aragon Street, right Gov. Forbes towards Tayuman and Capulong, left R-10 to the Pier Zone.
The MMDA would like to remind all of us that yes, the ban is still very much in effect. In a published
post on their official Twitter page a few days ago, the MMDA has reiterated the following truck ban
schedules with these guidelines:
• the ban is in effect from 6:00AM – 10:00AM, and from 5:00PM – 10:00PM
except in the following areas:
• Paranaque truck ban be from 6:00AM – 9:00AM, and from 4:00PM – 8:00PM
• Makati truck ban will be from 6:00AM – 10:00PM
Uniform Light Trucks Ban
In addition, there are certain rules that also apply to what are known as "Uniform Light Trucks". These
are the trucks with a gross capacity weight 4,500 kilograms or below, and/or having six (6) or more
tires, the payload area of which are either enclosed or open. The coverage and duration of the Light
Trucks Ban are as follows:
All ‘light trucks’, whether or not for commercial use, shall be:
- Prohibited to ply EDSA from Magallanes, Makati City until North Avenue, Quezon City, both
northbound and southbound, from 5 am until 9 pm from Mondays to Saturdays. There is no prohibition
on Sundays and holidays;
- Prohibited along Shaw Boulevard (Mandaluyong City and Pasig City) from 6 am until 10 am and
from 5 pm until 10 pm from Mondays to Saturdays. There is no prohibition on Sundays and holidays.
There is no prohibition on Sundays and holidays.
Also, there is a "window" during the Light Trucks Ban as well. It us understood that "light trucks may
use such roads during the time period not covered by the ban". Do note as well that that UVVRP (more
commonly known as number coding) under MMDA Regulation No. 96-005, Series of 1996 and its
amendments shall remain applicable to ‘light trucks.’ Any infraction of the ban calls for a fine
amounting to PhP 2,000.00.
Likewise, certain "light trucks" are also excempted from the ban, namely:
- Motor vehicles which are registered in the name of any government office, agency, or unit including
the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police, and duly marked as such
- Emergency vehicles such as, but not limited to, firetrucks and ambulances
- Motor vehicles which are granted exemptions by the MMDA if the circumstances so warrant.
- Light trucks carrying perishable good but they still need to apply for an exemption from the MMDA.
A Total Truck Ban is also implemented along the entire length of EDSA Magallanes to North Avenue,
and along Roxas Boulevard as well (except Sundays and holidays). As of writing, the MMDA website
does not include Roxas Boulevard in the Total Truck Ban, but it is best to take heed of current posts on
the official Twitter page, we reckon. Any person caught violating the provisions of the truck ban will be
given a hefty PhP 2,000 fine. You have been warned, ladies and gentlemen.

https://www.autoindustriya.com/commerce/what-why-where-and-when-the-metro-manila-truck-ban-
explained.html