Renowned urban planner Felino Palafox Jr. said that establishing an aerial cable car system will help alleviate the traffic situation in Metro Manila and other urban centers in the Philippines, as well as boost security and benefit the environment.
Palafox said establishing such a system, which he noted was becoming a "global trend," would be tantamount to "future-proofing" our cities from the perennial problem of traffic.
"The cable car is environment-friendly, and will future-proof our cities," Palafox said, referring to the use of cable cars that was proposed by Senator Robinhood "Robin" Padilla last week.
Palafox’s statement was sent Thursday, Aug. 18 to Senate reporters through the Viber account of Padilla.
He noted there has been a proposal to use cable cars in Metro Manila, while tourism plans have been drawn up to use cable cars to link tourist spots such as Boracay and Caticlan, Davao City and Samal, and Ilocos and Cordillera.
Palafox further said cable cars have the added benefit of lowering criminality as shown in areas where they are used - such as Medellin in Colombia. He noted that in Medellin, residents near the facilities got livelihood opportunities.
On the other hand, he said very few criminals would do their thing in facilities where there are many people.
Another benefit of the cable car system is that the view from the air could lead to faster response to disasters such as fires, or violations of the law such as illegal logging, Palafox explained.
But most importantly according to Palafox is that employees would save precious time that would otherwise be spent commuting, as he cited studies that show employees in Metro Manila spend six to eight hours a day just to commute.
He added that the towers for the cable car system can become landmarks if they are built along EDSA . If the project is approved, it can be completed in as little as 18 months.
Last week, Padilla suggested the use of an aerial cable car system to address the problem of traffic in Metro Manila, saying it had undergone a study and was approved by the past administration.
The proposal of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) involves a 4.5-kilometer cable car system that will link the cities of Marikina and Pasig, with stops in the cities of Quezon and Pasig.