MMDA: More passengers rode Pasig ferries in 2016

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. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

The Pasig River ferry system posted a 17.5-percent increase in ridership last year compared to 2015 figures, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Based on data gathered from the 11 stations, the ferries carried 105,741 passengers in 2016, or 15,748 more than the total riders in 2015. The MMDA attributed the increase to its promotion of the alternative mode of transport to reduce road traffic. MMDA officer in charge and general manager Tim Orbos said the agency targets a daily ridership of 1,000, from the current average of 400. The MMDA earlier disclosed plans to extend the ferry route to Eastwood in Quezon City and Riverbanks in Marikina City after the completion of dredging operations and the removal of a layer of adobe near Rosario Bridge, Pasig City. MMDA deputy chair Frisco San Juan Jr. also cited a proposal to open 30 more ferry stations around Laguna de Bay to reduce travel time from Taytay, Rizal, to Makati City from two hours to just 45 minutes. —Jovic Yee