The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, authorized Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Metro Global Holdings Corporation for the conduct of a pre-feasibility study on the city’s public transport system.
In a resolution, city legislators stated that the approval of the mayor’s authority is with consideration that the pre-feasibility study will be done at no cost to the city where its results would not bind the city nor guarantee the grant of any project or favor to the company.
Earlier, Mayor Magalong requested authority from the council to enter into an agreement with Metro Global Holdings Corporation for a pre-feasibility study on the city’s public transport system.
He pointed out the pre-feasibility study will focus on the viability of an intelligent mass public transport system covering multiple transportation options using a single interface.
The company assured city officials the results of the pre-feasibility study will be made available in 3 months or by November this year to allow the city government to assess and evaluate the results and guide city officials on whether or not to pursue the implementation of the desired project.
According to him, prior to the wrath of the dreaded Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the city government included mass transportation and infrastructure as among its priority projects to use various types of mass public transportation to make travel around the city convenient for both residents and visitors.
He claimed the project being proposed by Metro Global Holdings Corporation, if found feasible and suitable, will help modernize the current public transport systems and bring about increased accessibility and efficiency to the city’s commuting constituents.
Metro Global Holdings Corporation is just of the numerous proponents wanting to help the city government improved the state of the mass public transport system with the use of multiple options using a single interface.
The Sobrepeña-owned company is a publicly listed corporation and it is also a subsidiary of Metro Rail Transit Holdings, Inc., the operator of the MRT in Manila.
MRT was instrumental in building the first phase of the railway project which commenced full operation on July 15, 2000 with 13 stations from the North Triangle in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Manila. The company has also a 28.47 percent equity interest in Monumento Rail Transit Corporation which actively pursues participation in train system extensions and capacity expansion via procurement of additional trains and vehicles.
Metro Global Holdings Corporation will be engaging partner corporations in the pre-feasibility study for the city’s mass public transport system to fulfil the promised prescribed timeframe so that the city government will be guided on its future actions and decisions on how to start the implementation of a project which could be undertaken through the public-private partnership via the unsolicited proposal.
By Dexter A. See
Photo by Armando M. Bolislis
