By Kris Crismundo | Philippine News Agency
The country’s first cable car service could possibly operate in 2028 in Rizal province, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said.
During the Build Better More Infrastructure Forum in New Clark City on Thursday, Batan said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) just completed in the first half of the year the pre-feasibility study for a cable car service that will connect Manila Metro Rail Transit Line 4 Project (MRT-4) Taytay station and Antipolo.
“The project appears to be viable, we just need to do further studies, and that is what we are working on towards the end of the year,” Batan told reporters on the sidelines of the event.
He said a feasibility study will be made up to the middle of 2025 to identify the project cost, the number of passengers it can service, and other details of the project.
Batan added that once the feasibility study is completed by mid-2025, the pilot cable car service could be bidded out toward the end of 2025 to early 2026.
“We are being told that it can have a construction period of two years. So, if we are able to award in 2026, then potentially it may be possible in 2028,” he said.
The DOTr official explained that they chose Rizal province for the pilot cable car project because this mode of transportation is effective for mountainous terrain.
“We understand that Baguio is also considering [a] cable car project. They’re doing it together with the local government and we will support that initiative of Baguio,” Batan said.
