The Department of Transportation said it is reviving the Pasig River Ferry Service Project as an alternative mode of transport in the metropolis.
Transportation Undersecretary for maritime sector Felipe Judan said the agency completed a preliminary assessment of the Pasig River inland terminal operations and the review of the economic and financial data based on the Manila-Pasig-Laguna Ferry Service study.
Judan added the Transportation Department also obtained inputs from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on the revival of the Pasig River Ferry Service.
The Transportation Department, MMDA and the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission were behind the Pasig River Ferry Service Project, which was financed by an Asian Development Bank loan.
Before it shut down in 2011, the project had 17 stations and two lines, the first of which was the Pasig River Line that stretched from Plaza Mexico in Intramuros, Manila to Nagpayong station in Pasig City.
The second line was the Marikina River Line, which served the Guadalupe station in Makati City up to Santa Elena station in Marikina City.
Christopher Pastrana, chairman of Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corp., said his company was interested to help the government revive the operations of the Pasig River Ferry Service.
“Actually, we are studying the Pasig River Ferry Service since the new administration came in. I think this is one of the priorities of the secretary to open the Pasig River Ferry Service to address the traffic,” Pastrana said, referring to Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade.
“We are submitting a proposal together with some big companies to improve these terminals,” he said.
APFC is the operator of FastCat roll-on/roll-off ferries in the country.
FastCat current routes include Batangas to Clapan, Mindoro; Bulalacao, Mindoro-Caticlan, Aklan; Matnog, Sorsogon-San Isidro, Northern Samar; Bacolod-Iloilo, Liloan, Leyte-Lipata, Surigao; San Carlos, Negros Occidental-Toledo, Cebu and Dumaguete, Negros Oriental-Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte.