THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it started working on a feasibility study for a cable car system in Metro Manila, funded by a 450,000-euro grant from France.
In a statement, the DoTr said it will now scout for areas in Metro Manila where the cable car may be built. The feasibility study is expected to last 10 months.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, who led the program launch in Clark, Pampanga, said possible routes being evaluated include a La Union to Baguio link and another from Caticlan on Panay island to Boracay, noting that cable has the potential “to boost tourism in those areas.”
“France was engaged in the process given that it has one of the best urban cable car systems in the world. Please note that this grant is merely for a feasibility study. The implementation phase will proceed based on the results of this study,” it said.
In July, Transportation Undersecretary for Administration and Finance Garry V. de Guzman said the French government offered a grant for the cable car feasibility study. France said it wants to look into urban centers and find locations that would connect the cable car to major thoroughfares for the transportation system’s pilot implementation.
Mr. Tugade has said that if the cable car plan goes ahead, he wants fares to be competitive against those of jeepneys, buses, taxis and trains.
He said when he first presented the cable car project in 2016 that cable cars have the potential to augment the government’s efforts at improving the flow of traffic in congested areas like Metro Manila. — Denise A. Valdez
