MANILA, Philippines — Transport advocacy network The Passenger Forum on Friday lauded the announcement of the Department of Transportation to upgrade the Pasig River Ferry but expressed concern over its compatibility with the Pasig River Expressway or PAREX.
This comes after the DOTr said it was eyeing the rehabilitation of the river ferry service under the leadership of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, who said the department was targeting the completion of the feasibility study for the upgrade "as soon as possible."
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Commuter groups have long been pushing for the expansion of the Pasig River Ferry, calling it a low-hanging fruit to ease the transport crisis in Metro Manila. The Passenger Forum in particular also called for the review of PAREX earlier this year.
PAREX
In a statement, TPF Convenor Primo Morillo asserted that the ferry system is not compatible with the PAREX should it push through, as it is neither commuter nor environmentally-friendly. This would only worsen road congestion in Metro Manila by prioritizing car users, he added.
“We are happy that the DOTr is listening to our suggestions and we hope that they will develop the Pasig River Ferry System by making bigger terminals, adding more stations, acquiring additional waterbuses, among other things that will make commuter experience better," he said.
Bautista said earlier that the ongoing feasibility study handled by the National Economic and Development Authority will evaluate how the infrastructure would survive, especially with the looming construction of the Pasig River Expressway.
The P95-billion six-lane expressway will run along the banks of Pasig River, from Radial Road 10 in Manila to C-6 Road in Taguig, connecting the eastern and western portions of Metro Manila.
Transport and environmental collectives opposed to the project have said that the 19-kilometer elevated expressway's economic, environmental, health, and heritage impacts will ultimately outweigh its projected benefits while also only exacerbating the traffic congestion in Metro Manila instead of solving it.
“PAREX is not commuter-friendly because it prioritizes private cars and contrary to the claims of Ramon Ang, the project’s technical details do not mention anything about a bus rapid transit system, bike lanes, or any features for pedestrians," Morillo said.
"It is not environment-friendly as it will be detrimental to the rehabilitation of the Pasig River. It also endangers multiple heritage sites and historical buildings in Manila, especially inside Intramuros."
Morillo pointed out that even the PAREX's Environment Impact Assessment report has been suspected to be plagiarized among other issues hounding the project.
He also mentioned that while PAREX is car-centric, the Pasig River Ferry System is a good addition to the public’s mass transport options as it does not add to road congestion in Metro Manila.
“The Pasig River crosses populous and busy areas of Metro Manila and it is an existing resource that we can maximize for public transportation,” the commuter leader said.
"The way to maximize the ferry system is for the government to give attention and allot funds for its development instead of building an expressway over the Pasig River that will further contribute to its decay."