DOTr to study if cable cars can ease Metro Manila traffic
With Metro Manila’s traffic problem still awaiting long-term solutions, transport officials are dusting off a two-year-old proposal.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Wednesday that it would begin a 10-month feasibility study on the installation of an urban cable car line as part of efforts to provide a viable mass transport system.
To be fully funded by the French government, the P27-million study would identify possible areas in Metro Manila the system may be set up.
Transport Undersecretary for Finance Garry de Guzman said the cable car project was expected not only to improve the daily commute but also influence future urban planning.
While the study’s focus was Metro Manila, Secretary Arthur Tugade urged French officials to also consider prospective routes connecting La Union province to Baguio City and Caticlan to Boracay Island to boost tourism in those areas.
Minimal carbon footprint
The DOTr has been looking at cable cars as an alternative mode of transport in the country since 2016.
Aside from its speed, it can leave a minimal carbon footprint and operate at lower cost compared to a train system.
However, critics doubted if it would be suitable for an urban area already crowded with high-rise buildings and other tall structures.
French Ambassador to the Philippines Nicolas Galey said the study grant marked a new milestone in Manila-Paris relations.
At the helm of the 10-month study are French firms MDP Consulting and Systra, known as international experts in transport infrastructure and cable car systems.
The study will be done in three stages: identifying a potential corridor for the system, selecting the best cable car alignment, and determining whether a cable car system is technically, financially and economically feasible.
It will also look into what kind of cable car technology is suitable for Metro Manila, the actual alignment of the cable line, and determination of right-of-way issues.
