ASIDE from the much awaited High Priority Bus System (HPBS), which is targeted to start this 2020, there is another form of public transport that is being proposed to the local government unit.

A group of Chinese businessmen have proposed that the city should look into developing public transport using its bodies of water.

In a SunStar Davao report on Sunday, February 23, Councilor Conrado Baluran, chairperson of the committee on transportation, said the proposal was already endorsed to the City Council and is already scheduled for a committee hearing.

The businessmen proposed for the establishment of the fastcraft in the city with sea routes from Sta. Ana Pier in the city proper to Daliao fish port in Toril.

The utilization of water public transport is nothing new. It is among the public transport options of people living in areas where there is a number of bodies of water like rivers or canals. Up until today, it is still widely used in some countries to complement its land public transport.

“It will ease traffic, and solve the tardiness of students, workers, and government employees,” Baluran said.

Travel time is also expected to be less since boats can travel faster, especially when the sea is calm. Traveling from one of Davao City's coast to another in less than 30 minutes is quite exciting to think about.

However, it will still be a while before we see this materialized because the city is quite focused on ensuring that the HPBS will be implemented within its set target.

But the idea of Davao City having new alternative public transport is nice to think about. A booming city like Davao and its vast area, there is a demand for public transport that will take one person from one place to another at the fastest amount of time.

We are hopeful that after the HPBS is fully implemented, the city will study and explore other means of public transport that will allow large groups of people to travel from one destination to another as fast and as safe as possible.