MMDA to open 4 more Pasig ferry stations in May

Pasig River Ferry (Wikipedia photo)

MANILA – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will open four new stations for the Pasig River ferry service in May.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the additional terminals will be located in Hulo and Valenzuela in Makati City and Plaza Lawton and Lambingan in Sta. Ana, Manila.

“With the added stations, we will be expanding our routes to service more passengers,” Tolentino said.

At present, the ferry service has seven stations: Pinagbuhatan and San Joaquin (Pasig City); Guadalupe (Makati); Escolta, PUP Sta. Mesa, Plaza Mexico and Sta. Ana (Manila).

Tolentino said they are continuously aiming to improve this alternate mode of transportation in Metro Manila.

“We hope that Metro Manila commuters will use and patronize this Pasig Ferry Service to lessen congestion along the streets,” the MMDA chairman said.

The agency has also purchased five additional boats with a capacity of 26-35 passengers, MMDA’s Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group head Rod Tuazon said.

He said the five ferry boats will accommodate more passengers patronizing the Pasig River Ferry service.

The new boats run at 30 kilometers per hour, faster than the other 11 boats which run only at 10 kph, thus making travel time faster for passengers making the trip from Pinagbuhatan in Pasig to Intramuros, Manila in just 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, MMDA will offer a 50 percent discount on the Pasig Ferry Service fare for passengers who are elementary, high school and college graduating students.

“We want to recognize our hardworking students who will be graduating by offering them this discount,” Tolentino said in an interview.

He said that starting March 15, the students can enjoy a 50-percent slash from the usual fare of the Pasig Ferry Service which ranges from PhP30 to PhP50 by just presenting their school identification cards. He said the discounted fare will be granted until the graduation dates of the students, adding that the agency will have a list of the dates of all the commencement ceremonies of public and private schools in Metro Manila.

Tolentino said this will help students, especially those going to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Lyceum of the Philippines University, and Mapua Institute of Technology because these can be easily accessed from the Pasig Ferry stations.

The MMDA revived the Pasig River Ferry service last year to reduce road traffic in the metropolis. It operates from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, with fares ranging from PhP30 to PhP50.