Pasig River ferry to lighten traffic?

A proposal to revive the Pasig River ferry service has been raised as a possible means of addressing the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila.

Finance Committee chairman Sen. Sonny Angara said he is prepared to raise the P74 million government subsidy for the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to operate the ferry service, which runs through a 15-kilometer route.

In relation to this, Angara asked the MMDA to submit a detailed program on how the agency will utilize the budget to manage the ferry.

He said reviving this mode of transportation will help in efforts to modernize it.

He pointed out that in August 2016, the Department of Transportation allocated P2.65 billion for the Pasig River ferry to cover 20 new passenger vessels, the rehabilitation of 10 passenger terminals and river dredging operations.