Wednesday, January 10, 2007 Mandaue extends lease on vehicles
OPERATIVES of the Mobile Patrol Unit in Mandaue City will continue to have use of the Nissan Terranos whenever they’re dispatched to respond to alarms and other emergencies.
During its regular session yesterday, the Mandaue City Council approved the extension of the vehicle lease contract between the City and RDAK Transport Inc.
Mayor Thadeo Ouano has requested the council to extend the contract until March.
Aside from the Terranos, the City is also leasing multicabs, a meat van and a dog pound vehicle from the company.
In an earlier interview, City Councilor Wenceslao Gakit, chairman of the committee on budget and finance, said the vehicles will be useful in providing security during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit this week.
Police officials were expected to send at least 200 more vehicles for security teams during the summit, but every additional vehicle at the local governments’ disposal will help.
After the summit, however, Gakit said Mandaue City might cut the number of vehicles it will lease because the City might allow the police during the weekends to use vehicles normally assigned to other departments.
He said this setup will help the City cut costs.
The 2007 annual budget of the City sets aside P1.5 million for vehicle rentals.
Last year, the City leased eight Nissan Terrano patrol cars, two meat vans, a dog pound vehicle and 15 multicabs from RDAK for over a P1 million a month.
There were some months when the City wasn’t able to pay the rent, prompting RDAK to pull out the vehicles.
Without the vehicles, the policemen of the Mobile Patrol Unit were forced to patrol on foot. (AAG)
