Cebu-Naga sea route to begin by March

MyBoat. With a seating capacity of 64 passengers and travel time of about 30 minutes, MyBoat hopes to become the preferred mode of transport  for commuters. (Contributed Photo)
MyBoat. With a seating capacity of 64 passengers and travel time of about 30 minutes, MyBoat hopes to become the preferred mode of transport for commuters. (Contributed Photo)

MCE Shipping Lines is set to inaugurate its first vessel that will offer a coastal route from Cebu City to the City of Naga to decongest the roads of Cebu.

Chief executive officer Nelson Mejia said the vessel is the first of its kind to operate in both cities.

“This will serve the public and will take advantage of our available coastal routes in Cebu. It’s very difficult now to travel on land because of the traffic congestion, and with this, the maritime industry can take part in the solution,” Mejia told SunStar Cebu.

He said it is their contribution to the 2050 Mega Cebu roadmap and the Metro Cebu urban transport masterplan.

“If we can do it in 2019, why wait for 2050? We’re urging the different local government units and government agencies to consider this as part of the solution against the traffic,” he said.

Called the MyBoat, Mejia said the vessel is primarily made of fiber glass with steel frames in line with the Maritime Industry Authority’s (Marina) mandate on boat modernization.

It has a seating capacity of 64 passengers with a travel time of 30 to 38 minutes. The fare will be P60.

“It will have 16 to 18 trips per day from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., which are peak hours of travel for the Cebuanos,” Mejia said.

It will dock in Pier 3 for Cebu City and in the boardwalk area of the City of Naga.

The blessing and inauguration of the first vessel will be on Feb. 19, Tuesday, in the City of Naga.

Mejia said they are also in the process of seeking authorization from the Office of the President if they can use the area near the Malacañang sa Sugbo as their berthing space where their vessels can dock.

He said their target market are workers and students from far-flung towns who want to get to the city without the hassle of encountering traffic along the way.

Mejia said they are currently complying with permits from the Marina, but assured that they will be operational by the first week of March.

“We target to ask for provisional franchise then comply with everything before the expiration. We will maximize the provisional franchise for two months to have the full franchise approval,” he said.

MCE Shipping Lines invested P10 million for eight of its vessels that are undergoing finishing touches, Mejia said.

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