20 additional modernized jeepneys to ply city routes

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cordova Lapu-Lapu Metro Cebu Transport Cooperative (CLMC) will be deploying at least 20 units of its modernized jeepneys along two Cebu City routes starting Monday as it is now in the process of acquiring 600 more units for deployment in Cebu Province.

 During yesterday’s launching and blessing, Hendry Fritz Co, CLMC chairperson, said that they will initially deploy 20 units in Cebu City, of which ten units will ply the Urgello-Parkmall route. The other 10 units will be deployed along Bulacapao-SM route.

Co said that in the third week of November, they expect an additional 50 units to arrive from China.

Of that number, he said 20 units will travel the Consolacion-Cebu City route while the rest will ply the routes of Mabolo-Carbon, Danao City-Cebu City and Liloan-SM City Cebu.

“Kaning 20 units nga i launch kay sa CLMC na gyud ni. But initially, 236 units ni among i-operate but nagpaabot pa mi sa banko pag-release sa amoang loan,” Co said.

CLMC has a five-year contract with MEPZ-1 to exclusively shuttle 90,000 employees to and from work. But CLMC is leasing the 20 units owned by the People’s Jeep Cooperative.

“Sa pagsugod gyud ss PUJ modernization, kami naa mi more than 600 franchises but wala pa mi naka acquire og modernized jeepneys unya ang People’s Jeep naa na silay units pero wala silay franchise. So, ang nahitabo nag-collaborate mi mao nang 20 units nga among gi-lease to shuttle MEPZ employees,” Co explained.

CLMC has currently 300 members and has previously around 600 traditional jeepneys.

Co said that next week, CLMC will make another loan for additional 300 units.

Under the Pasada Program of the government, a transport cooperative can make a loan for the acquisition of its modernized PUJ with a subsidy of P160,000 each unit, which cost around P2.4 million.

Under this program, Co said, a loan is payable for seven years with an interest rate of five percent per annum and with a grace period of 12 months wherein only interest is paid. — LPM (FREEMAN)