Urban planner Jun Palafox says cable cars can alleviate traffic

Renowned architect and urban planner Felino ‘Jun’ Palafox is lending his voice to support a senator’s proposal to use cable cars as part of efforts to relieve traffic congestion in the country’s urban centers.

Urban planner Felino 'Jun' Palafox believes cable cars will future-proof the country's cities against traffic

“An aerial cable car system will not only help alleviate the traffic situation in Metro Manila and other urban centers in the Philippines – it will also boost security and benefit the environment,” Palafox was quoted as saying in a news release issued by the office of Sen. Robinhood Padilla Thursday.

“The cable car project will ease the traffic in the easter side of Metro Manila as per studies of the DOTr (Department of Transportation),” the statement adds, referencing former Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade’s similar proposal back in 2016. This called for a 4.5-kilometer cable car system linking the cities of Marikina and Pasig.

According to Palafox, cable cars can help future-proof big cities while being environment-friendly. He adds that in areas where cable cars are used, such as Medellin in Colombia, residents near the facilities received livelihood opportunities, leading to a drop in crime rates.

He adds that apart from reducing travel time, cable cars also help cut down crime rates

Another benefit, according to the urban planner, is that cable cars provide aerial views that can help in quicker emergency and disaster response, as well as enabling better monitoring of law violations such as illegal logging.

Padilla earlier proposed building an aerial cable car system as an alternative means of transport to address the Philippines’ perennial traffic problem. According to the neophyte senator, it was prompted by fellow lawmaker JV Ejercito’s privilege speech on the need to strengthen the country’s railways.

Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said that he is open to the idea as long as further studies are made

“Nagustuhan ko po ito kaya’t ako’y nagtaas ng kamay at nagbigay ng pananalitang pagsuporta kay Senator Ejercito at kabalikat po nito ay ang pagmungkahi sa kanya ng paggamit ng cable car sa Metro Manila para sa pagtugon sa masamang kalagayan ng trapiko,” Padilla said.

(I liked the idea, that’s why I raised my hand and voiced out my support for Senator Ejercito, complementing it with a suggestion to use cable cars in Metro Manila to address the worsening traffic situation.)    

In an interview with ANC’s Headstart Monday, Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said that he is not discounting the possibility of adopting a cable car system. “For you to able to implement a program, you need to get all the important data. The ridership, who will ride this. Will this be sustainable? Will this be profitable? Will the private sector be interested to operate it?” he said.       

We won’t leave you up in the air on traffic-related news at Philkotse.com.