ABOITIZ TRANSPORT SYSTEM CORP. (ATSC) will launch a direct roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) service from Batangas to San Jose, Mindoro, areas predominantly being served by small ro-ro operators.
In a press briefing, ATSC president and chief executive officer Enrique M. Aboitiz Jr. said the shipping firm will launch the Batangas-San Jose link “in a couple of months”. With the new route, travelers going to Aklan from Luzon would not have to take the five-hour travel from Roxas to Caticlan.
“Travelers may reach Caticlan directly from San Jose,” Aboitiz said. Earlier, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) reported the number of vehicles traversing the Roxas-Caticlan link of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) has exhibited significant growth since December.
PPA said private cars and rolling cargoes totaled 2,800 from December to January, by far the highest recorded since the introduction of the SRNH. The port agency added these months were considered peak periods due to the Christmas season. The Roxas-Caticlan link serves as the indicator of the volume of travelers traversing Luzon and Visayas.
At present the route is being served by Montenegro Shipping Lines, Starlite and PhilHarbor shipping lines, offering a total of six trips daily.
