TRUCK operators and business groups are asking the Mandaue City government to temporarily suspend its truck ban for 60 days, citing rising fuel prices and operational delays that they say are hurting deliveries and business operations.
Hyll Retuya, head of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team), said the request for a citywide moratorium on the truck ban will be discussed during the Traffic Board meeting on April 28, 2026.
“There is a request from truckers’ groups and members of the business sector for a temporary 60-day suspension of the truck ban,” Retuya said.
“This will be discussed tomorrow during our Traffic Board meeting.”
Retuya said the city government has yet to decide on the request because there are still ongoing discussions with the Cebu Provincial Capitol and other local government units in Metro Cebu, which may lead to a unified policy on truck regulations across the metro.
“We cannot make an immediate decision yet because we still have pending discussions with the Provincial Capitol and the other LGUs in Metro Cebu,” he said.
“There may be a move toward a unified truck ban policy.”
According to Retuya, truckers are pushing for the temporary lifting of the restriction because of the continued increase in fuel prices, which affects their delivery schedules and operational costs.
“As far as I know, the main reason is the ongoing fuel crisis,” Retuya said.
“They do not want their operations to be delayed because of the rising cost of fuel, and they do not want to wait for the truck ban hours before they can move.”
Truckers also fear that delayed deliveries may cause clients to pull out, further affecting their businesses, he added.
Despite the request, Retuya said lifting the truck ban may create heavier traffic congestion, especially in Mandaue City, which serves as a major transport route in Metro Cebu.
“One of the biggest concerns is traffic congestion,” he said.
“That is also the fear of traffic officials in other LGUs if the truck ban is lifted across Metro Cebu, because Mandaue is strategically located and is a major passageway.”
At present, Mandaue City enforces a truck ban from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., except on Sundays and holidays.
However, Retuya noted that trucks are allowed to pass at any time of the day through the city’s designated truck corridor, which runs from CIP to Barangay Kansaga, without facing apprehension.
“The good thing in Mandaue is that truckers have a designated truck corridor where they can pass anytime,” he said.
From January to April this year, Team recorded 96 apprehensions for truck ban violations, most of which involved non-essential vehicles.
Retuya clarified that trucks carrying perishable goods are exempt from the restriction.
For now, the city is waiting for the Traffic Board’s recommendation and the outcome of follow-up meetings with stakeholders called by Pamela Baricuatro.
“We are waiting for the decision of the Provincial Capitol because this issue affects not just Mandaue but the whole of Metro Cebu,” Retuya said. (ABC)