By Hannah Torregoza Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara on Sunday conceded that commuting is definitely a challenge and called on the government to come up with more transport alternatives to ease traffic congestion. Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (Senator Sonny Angara Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN Angara said that while the public is waiting for the big-ticket infrastructure projects such as the Skyway extension, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) line expansions and rehabilitations of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) to finish, the government should consider opening the Pasig River ferry system. “There is one alternative that to me is easier and faster to implement, and that is the Pasig River ferry system. I have mentioned this before after seeing the potential of the Pasig River ferry as a way to ease traffic in the metropolis,” he said. “A feasibility study has already been conducted for this project and from what we have been told, we can have a fully operational ferry transport system in just one year,” he added. Unlike the road infrastructure which entails massive disruptions to traffic and other issues such as road right of way, Angara said the Pasig River ferry project simply involves constructing or refurbishing the stations and purchasing the vessels. “Of course some dredging has to be done to ensure the ferries will be able to traverse the entire stretch of the Pasig River without issue, but I’m confident the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has the capability to do this,” he said. Currently, there are 14 ferry stations situated along the Pasig River, out of which only 11 are operational. Angara said the current line can transport passengers from Pasig-Mandaluyong-Makati-Manila. The current fleet consists of nine passenger boats but only two are running daily. “Improving ridership is definitely a challenge, but one that can easily be addressed by ensuring that the ferry system will be able to operate reliably and consistently,” he stressed. He said passengers need only to know that the ferry will arrive on time and that they will get to their destinations on schedule. “Eventually, we have to ensure passenger access to the ferry stations. This means the riders should be able to get to and from the other modes of transport such as the MRT and LRT stations and bus stops. We need to get this done right away if we want to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila,” he stressed. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo had earlier said there was no transport crisis in the country after enduring an almost four-hour commute to Malacañang. “Transport crisis or not, the fact that thousands of commuters are having an extremely difficult time getting to their destinations should already prompt immediate action from the entire government,” Angara said. “While some people are preoccupied with arguing on semantics, the students and employees are dealing with their daily struggle with how to get to work and school. We must focus on finding solutions immediately. No one who commutes finds any amusement in memes or satires about statements being made by this or that person. What they want is to know that something is being done and they are not being ignored,” the senator stressed. The Senate Finance Committee chair noted that traffic along EDSA and other major thoroughfares in Metro Manila is not going to ease anytime soon. This leaves the government to make up by considering other options to ease commuters’ problems. “To make things worse, the mass transit systems are breaking down, leaving commuters with few options on how to get from point A to point B,” he said. “Many of the major infrastructure projects will not be completed until after the Duterte administration. Let’s come up with ways to provide relief to our commuters at an earlier time,” he said.