French PM to ride jeepney, get BRT updates

TWO leased passenger jeepneys were reserved for this morning’s Cebu visit of French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.

Ayrault will ride the passenger jeepney driven by a member of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) that will pass through a kilometer stretch of road from the Fuente Osmeña Circle to the Cebu Capitol grounds.

Ayrault, who’s scheduled to attend the inauguration of the Alliance Française de Cebu building in Gorordo Avenue at noon, will be briefed on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system project there by BRT consultant Collin Brader.

Alliance Francaise de Cebu Director Louis Thevenin said the French Prime Minister will arrive at the Mactan Cebu International from Manila at 10 a.m. and will stay in Cebu for at least four hours before returning to France.

Thevenin said Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district, a BRT proponent, was also invited to attend the meeting by Luc Le Cabellac, AFD director in the country.

Ayrault and members of his delegation will be met by Thevenin, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Lapu Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza and French honorary consul Michel Lhuillier at the airport.

The French delegation will proceed to the Basilica for a short visit and will then make a stop over at the Fuente Osmena Circle where Ayrault will ride a leased passenger jeepney for the BRT briefing at the Capitol.

According to the itinerary of Ayrault’s visit, the Prime Minister and his wife Brigette will take the first PUJ with Governor Garcia.

They will also be joined by Hélène Conway, the Minister Delegate of Foreign Affairs; Gilles Garachon, Ambassador of France to the Philippines; Dov Zerah, director general of the French Development Agency and a French interpreter.

A second passenger jeepney will also be provided for the rest of the delegation.  Thevenin said he will give a guided tour for Ayrault of the AF de Cebu building. The Prime Minister is expected to deliver his message before leaving for France.

Osmeña said Ayrault’s Cebu visit will be an opportunity for Cebu City to establish contacts with the AFD, the French government’s financial institution for development assistance to developing countries.

Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Citom) chief Rafael Yap advised Cebuanos to expect slow traffic in some city streets today due to Ayrault’s visit.    He said there’s no road closure will “but we will be giving our visitors priority for road use.”

“Traffic will have to be stopped on certain intersections to allow the VIP convoy to pass ‘for security purposes,” Yap said. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac and Correspondent Edison delos Angeles