Tugade eyes cable cars, opening up gated villages to ease metro traffic

MANILA, Philippines –  Incoming Transportation Secretary Arthur “Art” Tugade said he is looking into building cable cars in Metro Manila and opening up private subdivisions as potential solutions to the traffic mess.

In an interview on ANC’s Headstart, Tugade said cable cars running about five to ten kilometers from Pasig City to EDSA and Makati City might help decongest roads.

“‘Yung cable cars, gagamitin, pinag-aaralan, definitely so. Ito ho, hinihiram ko ito ‘yung Bolivia experience na kung saan mayroong mga cable car. Uumpisahan muna iyan sa area ng Pasig and then EDSA ito ho ‘yung mga cable  gondola na 35 passengers capacity,” Tugade said.

“Kaya ko ho naisipan iyan, again, hindi ko ho orihinal ‘to. Mayroon hong mga nag-suggest niyan ‘pag nag-dagdag tayo ng kalsada at nag-construct tayo e lalong makakatrapik kung gusto mo ng additional capacity, pumunta ka sa itaas,” he said.

Tugade said that he has no definite plans on stations and routes for the cable car plan, since it is still just a concept. He said, though, that he already talked to a manufacturer of cable cars.

“‘Yung manufacturer ho ng cable car na gumawa sa Bolivia pa o sa Bogota nakausap ko na, so dinedecide na kung saan.  Ang suhestyon ko magke-cable car ka not only as means o transportation but also for scenic purposes,” he said.

The incoming Transportation secretary said he also seeks to build a cable car system from Sta. Rosa in Laguna to Makati City.

“Pinag-aaralan ho yung detalye -- maybe it’s technically not accurate on my part to be saying that -- but suffice you to say at the moment that’s it is seriously being looked into, alam niyo ho ba kung bakit? Ang sabi ho sakin longest ay one year and six months operational [na ang cable car],” Tugade said.

Aside from the cable car proposal, Tugade said he agrees with Senator Vicente Tito Sotto III’s recommendation of “no parking is the best and only solution from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.”   

Sotto said even if exclusive subdivisions like Forbes or Dasmariñas are opened up, cars parked along the private roads will still contribute to traffic.  Tugade said “no parking” is among the critical solutions they have to make.

Asked which villages or private subdivisions he means to open up as alternate routes, Tugade said he is still waiting for special powers.

“Puwede po ba kontrolin muna natin, sabihin kung ano ‘yung mga villages, ilagay muna natin sa tamang perspektibo iyan na nandoon na yung special power,” he responded.

Tugade said he already identified the red flag issues of the Department of Transporation which include the airport congestion, Metro Rail Transit and traffic and is willing to resolve these with the help of public’s trust and prayers.