Alternate transport system for Cebu proposed
For a returning seafarer, sea trips are an option for commuters struggling to get to work on time.
This is what Nelson Mejia Jr., 27, envisioned when he presented his startup idea at the business plan competition organized by the 2018 National Reintegration Center for OFWs (overseas Filipino Workers) (NRCO) and the Integrated Seafarers of the Philippines.
“To emphasize my point of how extremely challenging it is for the commuting public to get a ride in Cebu City, I even highlighted in my video the non-peak hours from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., when most assume that the traffic condition during these hours is light and manageable. But it turned out that getting a ride even during what is considered non-rush hours is still very inconvenient and tough,” he said.
His proposal entitled,” Metro Cebu Express: A Water Bus Liner Service,” aims to ease the difficulties faced by the riding public due to traffic congestion in the city.
Mejia, who represented Central Visayas, bested nine other contestants during the national competition.
The idea involved the maritime shipping industry in providing a solution to the growing concern of traffic.
With the use of water vessels, Meija proposed to ferry passengers from Pier 3 in Cebu City to Talisay City and vice versa.
He said he will launch the design of the vessel by the first week of December.
Mejia said that during the contest, he made sure to interact with the panel of judges to highlight his points and not just merely present his report.
“I saw to it that the presentation of my business plan was interactive, involving the participation of the members of the panel of judges. I did not want to appear as if I was just merely reporting to them. I wanted them to realize in the process, the potential and viability of my business proposal in reducing the burden of the ordinary commuters, who struggle to get a ride in the midst of the worsening traffic conditions in Cebu,” he said.
Mejia has a doctorate in maritime affairs from the Atlantic International University in Hawaii.
Department of Labor and Employment 7 Director Johnson Cañete said Mejia’s business idea showed potential by taking advantage of the sea to provide commuters an alternative and to decongest the major highways.
“There is a pressing need, not only for government, but also for the rest of our constituents to help devise and introduce any business idea that would also serve as a plausible solution to some of our perennial problems. And what Dr. Mejia recommended has a big potential in decongesting the influx of commuters at the national highway, thereby solving our traffic situation,” he said, in a press release.
Mejia received a P500,000 cash prize and will also be prioritized for possible grants and access to preferential business loan funding from the NRCO and its partners.