15 modernized PUJs from Talisay, Cebu launched

TO HELP workers from Talisay City during their commute to their workplaces in Cebu City, 15 units of modernized public jeepneys called Mango Jeep were launched on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021.

The Mango Jeep, operated by Tourganize Group of Companies, plies the Talisay to I.T. Park route via Gaisano Tabunok-Tisa Banawa-Escario-Lahug and vice versa.

“This is truly a big help to our constituents working in that area and those working in Cebu City,” Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas said in a Facebook post.

Emmanuel Barretto Jr., president of Tourganize, said their company started as a car rental.

“We’re blessed during the pandemic that we were the ones tapped to shuttle BPO employees (when there were lockdowns). But the number of shuttles declined because public transportation opened,” he said.

Barretto said to continue giving their drivers a livelihood, they invested in venturing into modern jeepneys.

“We started car rental in the year 2000. And we started the operation of the modern jeepneys on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021,” he said.

The Mango Jeep has a capacity of 20 passengers. It also has payment features like physical cash and cards such as the TripKo, a reloadable payment card that can be used for contactless fare payment in public transport, making it safer and more convenient for the commuting public.

TripKo also drives security and operational efficiency for bus companies and modern jeepney cooperatives, it said.