Padilla says cable car suggestion in line with proposals under previous admin

Senator Robin Padilla over the weekend clarified that his suggestion of cable cars in Metro Manila was in line with proposals under the previous administration.

Padilla defended his suggestion, saying that the idea of installing cable cars in the National Capital Region has already been studied by experts overseas, particularly from France, who proposed that they build a 4.5-kilometer line.

“Bakit ko po ito iminungkahi? Aprubado na po kasi ito ng dating administrasyon,” he said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page.

“Napagaralan na po ito ng mga experto galing sa bansang France sa pamumuno ng kanilang ambassador na nag-alok pa na sila ang gagawa nito at dito po ipinanganak ang idea ng 4.5 kilometers along the Santolan-Eastweood-Pasig corridor,” he added.

[Why did I suggest this? This was already approved by the previous administration.

This has been studied by experts from France under the leadership of their ambassador who offered to do it. This is where the idea of the 4.5-kilometer line along the Santolan-Eastwood-Pasig corridor was born.]

Padilla made the suggestion after Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito in a privilege speech called for the improvement of the mass transport system

Then-Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III in June 2021 said the proposed $100-million Manila Urban Car Cable project of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was already up for approval of the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC).

Under the proposal, France expressed willingness to provide financing support through a concessional loan. The French government already granted €450,000 to the government for a feasibility study on such a possibility.

The proposed project initially involves the construction of a cable-propelled mass transport system, which will be mostly aligned with the Marikina River profile.

It is proposed to start with the Santolan Station of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT2) in Marikina City, with stations located in Libis, Quezon City; Eastwood, Quezon City; Santolan, Pasig City; Manggahan, Pasig City; and Rosario, Pasig City.

Before the Duterte administration assumed office in June 2016, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said, there were exploratory talks with a company that makes cable cars for Bolivia. — BM, GMA News