MCE Shipping Lines launched the MyBoat fleet last February 2019. This October 28, the MyBoat sea jeepney will start to sail from Naga City to Cebu City ten times a day. (CDN Digital File Photo)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Commuters from southern Cebu who endure the daily traffic congestion will soon have the option to travel to Cebu City bysea.
Dr. Nelson Mejia Jr., Chief Executive Officer of MCE Shipping Lines that operates MyBoat, said a 45-seater “sea jeepney” will start to sail from the port in Naga City to Cebu City’s Pier 1 next Monday, October 28.
Mejia said the sea trip from Naga City to Cebu City will run from between 45 minutes to an hour.
Read more: My Boat offers alternative to Metro Cebu land transport
A one-way sea jeepney trip costs P60 per passenger. The statutory 20 percent discount for students, senior citizens and differently-abled persons shall also apply, Mejia said.
“With 45 seats, we can fit in (passengers equivalent to) three jeepneys. Makatabang-tabang na siguro na (I think that can help ease the land-based traffic),” Mejia told CDN Digital on Sunday, October 20.
The MyBoat sea jeepney will have have a total of 10 trips a day, at five trips each way. Heading to Cebu City, the trips are scheduled every 5:30 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 10:10 a.m., 2:10 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. From Cebu City, the sea jeepney will head to Naga City every 6:40 a.m., 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:20 p.m. and 5:40 p.m.
With the start of their operations, Mejia hoped that they would be able to reduce the traffic congestion experienced in Metro Cebu.
Last October 14, the Cebu Provincial Board has acknowledged there is a “traffic crisis” in Cebu.
Read more: PB declares traffic crisis in Cebu
Mejia said they hoped to acquire two additional sea jeepneys by November to service more passengers.
M/B Eiryl, a 64-seater catamaran-type vessel, is the flagship sea bus of the MyBoat fleet. (Photo by Dr. Nelson Mejia Jr.)
Depending on the success of their operations this fourth quarter, Mejia said they target to sail eight sea jeepneys at the same route by the first quarter of 2020.
“The Naga to Pier 1 is still a developing route. This means that we need to establish the demand so we can call it a regular existing route,” Mejia said.
Last February, MCE Shipping Lines launched the MyBoat fleet at the Naga City port with 64-seater M/V Eiryl, a Catamaran-type vessel, supposedly as its flagship sea bus.
However, Mejia said they needed to revise the ship’s design to fit with the route’s shallow water.
Aside from Naga City to Cebu City, Mejia said they also intend to operate soon between Angasil Port on Mactan Island and Santa Rosa on Olango Island./elb