MMDA hopes to see Pasig ferry ridership rise to 1,000 daily

BUS FERRY DRY RUN The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority conducts a dry run of its ferry service on the Pasig River from Guadalupe, Makati City, to Intramuros, Manila, on Wednesday. The trip took one hour and 30 minutes. Reviving the ferry service is aimed at providing commuters a faster mode of travel in the metropolis. FILE PHOTO. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Just a day after launching its “improved” Pasig ferry service, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) saw the system’s ridership increase by at least 90 percent.

MMDA officer in charge and general manager Tim Orbos said that on average, the Pasig ferry caters to just around 400 passengers daily.

However, that figure rose to 779 on Saturday, a day after the agency introduced the free shuttle service for its Guadalupe and Escolta stations in partnership with Megaworld Corp.

On Friday, eight 30-seater shuttle buses were deployed to Guadalupe to bring passengers to the Uptown complex in Bonifacio Global City while three 15-seater vans were made available for passengers from Escolta to Lucky Chinatown in Divisoria, Manila, and vice versa.

Alternative transport

Orbos said that the sharp increase in the number of passengers on Saturday may also be attributed to the coming holiday season when traffic becomes heavy and people look for alternative transport options to get to their destinations.

Historically, the MMDA sees its ridership increase to 600 during this period. For this year, the agency is hoping to hit at least 1,000 daily.

Until Dec. 31, the MMDA has extended the ferry’s operating hours to cater to more passengers.

Trips from Guadalupe to Plaza Mexico will be from

6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The last ferry from Plaza Mexico to Guadalupe will leave at 9 p.m. An express service—7:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., and 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.—from these stations was also made available.

Longer service route

Meanwhile, Orbos said that as early as January next year, the Pasig ferry may be able to service commuters in Eastwood, Quezon City and Riverbanks in Marikina City after they finish dredging and clearing the layer of adobe near Rosario Bridge in Pasig City.

He noted that this was the remaining obstacle for the ferry system to extend its service, at present currently ending in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig. –Jovic Yee