Group seeking Mandaue’s help to expedite loan for modern jeeps

TO start its transition to using modern jeepneys, the Mandaue Transport Cooperative (MTC) has requested the City government’s help to expedite the processing of their loan applications in purchasing their units.

MTC representatives made the request when they met with Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes at City Hall on Wednesday, June 30, 2021.

Loreto Geres, MTC president, said they will use as loan collateral its consolidated franchise to the Landbank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to buy 106 modern jeepneys.

He said they requested for a loan in November 2020 and underwent in June 2021 an operation review as part of the loan process.

Geres said they sought the City’s help to expedite the processing of the loan since they have started paying for the garage rent.

In response, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes promised Geres and his members that he will support them on their request.

Geres added that they also need to submit a Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) from the City as part of the loan requirements of DBP.

Mandaue City Councilor Jimmy Lumapas, who chairs the Committee on Transportation, said the City has an existing LPTRP which was recently awarded by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in 2021.

But Lumapas said the existing LPTRP is designed for inter-city routes and the DBP is only requiring an LTPRP for intra-city since the route of MTC units are from Mandaue City to Cebu City via versa.

To address this, Cortes instructed MTC members to coordinate with the City Planning and Development Office to formulate the LPTRP for intra-city routes and get the approval from LTFRB and the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Geres also said they have secured a provisional authority from LTFRB and they only need the loan to have the units ready for them to operate.

In a separate interview, Lumapas said he also wanted MTC’s loan expedited after he received reports from commuters that they have a hard time getting a ride to work and vice versa after the number of buses plying in the city has decreased.

He said most of commuters that have reported to him are from Barangay Cabancalan and they complained that limited buses are now plying along M.L. Quezon St.

With this, Lumapas said it is important to fast-track the MTC’s loan application so that they can buy modern jeepney units and augment the routes with few buses.

Lumapas said they will communicate with the LTFRB to coordinate with them if they plan on withdrawing some buses plying around the city so that the transportation of the city will not be paralyzed. (KFD)