New York-style ferry system in PH to cost P20B

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) estimates it would be spending up to P20 billion for the proposed ferry system traversing Manila Bay, Pasig River, Marikina River and Laguna Lake as it will be designed to accommodate a high volume of daily commuters.

Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan, in a statement on Friday, said the project could be modeled after the Chao Phraya River Ferry System in Thailand and the New York Ferry System in New York City.

“We’re thinking of mobilizing P15 to 20 billion to put in a mega project. We’re thinking of an all electric ferry fleet, multiple stations,” Batan said.

“This (ferry system) is something commuters can use on a daily basis to get to and from their places of work,” he added.

DOTr Assistant Secretary Leonel Cray De Velez previously said they planned to start looking for a private sector partner next year.

The Transportation department is working with the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines for the feasibility study, which is targeted to be finished within the year.

Apart from building the ferry stations, De Velez said they would want to integrate multimodal transport facilities—accommodating public utility vehicles and buses, among others—for seamless transfers.

The DOTr is also looking into establishing bike lanes going to the stations, in support of active transport initiatives by the government.

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Previously, DOTr Undersecretary for maritime sector Elmer Santiago said they were planning to construct 200 new seaports across the country by 2028 to improve connectivity among remote islands. Each terminal is estimated to cost P20 million to P80 million.

The Transportation department is also keen on building and expanding 14 roll-on/roll-off (Roro) ports across the archipelago. These include San Vicente Roro Port, Maconacon Port and Palanan Port in northern Luzon; Dilasag Port, Baler Port, Infanta Port and Catanauan Port in eastern Luzon; Cadiz Port, Ajuy Port and San Fernando Port in Central Visayas; Lupon Roro Port and Sta. Ana Roro Port in Mindanao.

Philippine Ports Authority reported passenger traffic on sea terminals surged by 24 percent to 73.61 million last year from 59.19 million in 2022. This was still below the 2019 level of 83.72 million passengers.