Lapu-Lapu wharf’s development, ship’s speed, fare and facilities cited

Anton’s wharf is where the Ocean Jet 11 docked during its dry run for Cebu to Lapu-Lapu route. (CDN FILE)

It took  24 minutes for a fast craft to travel from mainland Cebu to Lapu-Lapu City during  yesterday morning’s dry run for other passenger vessels to ply the route.

This is an ideal time to cut the travel period from Cebu City to Lapu-Lapu City and to avoid traffic in Mandaue City area.

The MV Ocean Jet 11, a fast craft with a gross tonnage of 79, and can accommodate 180 passengers, started the dry run from Pier 1 to a privately owned wharf formerly known as Anton’s wharf in Barangay Ibo, Lapu-Lapu City and back to Pier 1.

But Edmund Tan, general manager of the Cebu Port Authority (CPA), said they have to iron out some concerns which include the development of the private wharf for the safety of passengers, the fare and the additional facilities that needed to be placed there.

The privately owned wharf  in Lapu-Lapu City still needs additional filling material and also needs to be cemented before it could start accepting passengers,  Tan said.

He said that the safety of the passengers is still the top concern.

Tan cited the incident where big waves from a passing vessel caused the fast craft to bump the temporary wharf three times.

“We want to ensure that it won’t happen again, since someone might fall off there,” Tan said in Cebuano.

CG suggestions

Cebu Coast Guard Station Commander Agapito Bibat recommended two things for the safety of the passengers.

Bibat said the fast craft must use its starboard side (right side) to dock at Anton’s wharf, so that its back portion won’t be exposed to passing ships’ wakes or waves produced by passing vessels.

During their dry run yesterday, the crew used the portside (left side of the vessel) in docking, which exposed the whole body of the vessel to passing ships’ wakes.

This put the stability of the docked vessel at risk.

Bibat also suggested that the crew install reflectorized markers at the shallow area to ensure that the vessel will not overshoot in that shallow area, and  won’t run aground.

According to Bibat, the dry run from Pier 1 to Anton’s Wharf was made in at least 30 minutes with a speed of 12.5 knots  while on its return trip to Pier 1, the vessel made it in at least 20 minutes with a speed of 13.5 knots.

But Bibat said he could not say yet if Ocean Jet 11 will be allowed to travel on those speeds at the Mactan Channel since the harbor speed is 8 knots.

Bibat said he will raise this issue before the  Maritime Safety forum slated every month to find out if there will be no objections from other shipping firms and stakeholders.
icm

Meanwhile,  Eugene Erik Lim, vice president and chief operating officer of Island Central Mactan (ICM), said they offered to help in the development of the wharf by also putting a fence that will separate it from the informal settlers nearby.

ICM will start operating a mix-used six-story building along the entrance of the private wharf by June.

The MV Ocean Jet 11 was the vessel used on Monday’s dry run to determine the feasibility of running a passenger vessel from mainland Cebu to Mactan. (CDN PHOTO/CARMEL MATUS)

The fare will also have to be ironed out as representatives from Ocean Fast Ferries Inc. operating the Ocean Jet ferries will have to determine the amount of fuel used during the dry run and its cost too.

Vanessa Lua,  general manager of Ocean Fast Ferries Inc., said aside from the fuel, they would also need to meet on other charges that might include terminal fees in Pier 1 and terminal fees in the privately owned wharf.

Tan said the private wharf may also need a separate ticketing office of the Ocean Fast Ferries Inc. for passengers going to mainland Cebu from Lapu-Lapu City.

MV Ocean Jet 11 used to ply the Tubigon, Bohol and Cebu route. Prior to the dry run yesterday, it ferried passengers from Camotes to Cebu.

Lawyer Jose Cabatingan of the Maritime Industry Authority in Central Visayas (Marina-7) said the company applied and secured for a special permit for yesterday’s dry run and paid a filing fee of P2,000.

Yesterday’s dry run was to test the feasibility of having a fast craft that will be used as an alternate transportation for commuters between Cebu and Mactan while repairs on the old Mandaue-Mactan  Bridge are ongoing.

The repairs had caused heavy traffic congestion for commuters and motorists in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

CPA will meet with Marina, Ocean Fast Ferries Inc., the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the officials of ICM on Thursday to come up with a decision on whether they would push through with the plans of deploying the MV Ocean Jet 11.

Tan said the outcome of their meeting will be announced on Friday.

The dry run has also included the transfer of passengers from the privately owned wharf to the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA). On board a big bus that can accommodate about 30 passengers, it took five minutes to reach the departure area of MCIA.

ICM has initially pledged three buses to ferry the passengers. However, these won’t be provided for free as the company will also charge passengers.