FROM how it looks, the government seemed dead serious on phasing out the traditional jeepneys in Metro Manila with a mass transportation system that would include the deployment of cable cars in the northeastern part of the region.
During a meeting with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, a French transport firm which calls itself the POMA Group presented a study embarking on a proposal which they claim would significantly reduce traffic congestion in Metro Manila – starting with Quezon City, Marikina and Pasig.
In a Facebook post, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said that the project proponent (POMA Group) presented a cable car concept which was prepared by the French transport company in coordination with the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Under the plan (which POMA Group claims to have spent two years to complete), the deployment of cable cars along the 78-kilometer tributary encompassing Quezon City, Marikina and Pasig, is “feasible” and stands to benefit 30,000 to 40,000 commuters.
“Matapos ang dalawang taong pag-aaral, nakitang posible ang cable car corridor na bumabaybay sa Marikina River na nasa teritoryo ng Marikina, Quezon City at Pasig City,” reads the Quezon City statement posted on their Facebook page.
Upon completion of the project, the cable car system will connect the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 station in Santolan and the Eastwood, Libis area through the upcoming Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 4.
The statement however did not say how much time would be saved by the commuting public in riding the cable cars.
Representatives of POMA Group also invited Belmonte to visit the Téléo urban cable car system in Toulouse, France.
River Transport Projects
Interestingly, the government has had a long list of river transport projects including the Pasig River Ferry System and the much-touted Pasig River Expressway (Parex).
In the early years of operation, the Pasig River Ferry System worked. However, the rapid increase in sediments somehow contributed to glitches, including delays and cancellation of trips when the river is shallow or when Metro Manila is being battered by typhoons.
As for Parex, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been facing delays because the DENR seemed adamant on the idea of issuing an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) for the project to proceed despite assurance from food and beverage giant San Miguel Corporation subsidiary company SMC Infrastructure.
Parex Permanent Solution
The P95-billion road system, according to the project proponents, would offer a “permanent solution” to the daily woes of commuters and motorists in the National Capital Region, as it offers a modern concept of unclogging city streets and avenues.
Under the proposal, SMC Infrastructure would construct a six-lane elevated expressway covering almost 20 kilometers of Pasig River – taking off at Radial Road 10 at the North Harbor in the city of Manila and ending at a connection to SouthEast Metro Manila Expressway at C-6.
To rise along the banks of Pasig River with its giant pillars encroaching only on one or two meters of the river, Parex will cut to only 15 minutes the travel time from Manila to Rizal.
Caution vs. Disinformation
In a previous statement, SMC Infrastructure said that the country’s first green hybrid expressway places the environment and the river’s ecosystem at the front and center of this ambitious initiative.
While providing travelers and motorists with a modern, efficient expressway, SMC will also undertake the clean-up and rehabilitation of the Pasig River alongside Parex, a proof of which is SMC’s P2-billion allocation for the extraction of an estimated three million tons of silt and solid waste which have significantly reduced the river’s capacity and prevented water from flowing to the Manila Bay.
Once the river is rehabilitated, SMC said flooding would be a thing of the past for the cities encompassing the 25–kilometer stretch of the region’s major waterway – which by then may be ideal for the stalled ferry system.
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