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THE
electric-powered jeepneys, or e-jeepneys, finally hit
the streets of Makati City, the country’s business
capital, following its inaugural commercial run Tuesday
morning.
The
group Green Renewable Independent Power Producer (GRIPP)
and Greenpeace led the formal launching of the e-jeepneys,
which will now ply regular commuter routes in Makati
City just like regular jeepneys.
It is
the first public-transport system of its kind in
Southeast Asia and is part of the Climate-Friendly
Cities project, an integrated transport and
waste-management initiative pioneered by a consortium of
organizations led by GRIPP with Greenpeace, together
with various cities and private-sector players.
The
project demonstrates that cities can take the lead in
helping address climate change by promoting public
transport fueled by more ecologically friendly fuels
tied in with renewable energy-based technologies,
according to Greenpeace.
The e-jeepneys
ply their commercial route three days to the year since
the first two test units were launched in Makati City.
The Department of Transportation and Communication’s
Planning and Transport Division only released the e-jeepney’s
guidelines for registration on April 28, which legally
allowed it on public roads.
The
final step is to obtain a franchise from the Land
Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The application remains pending.
Four
units made locally by GRIPP partner Motor Vehicle Parts
Manufacturers Association of the Philippines will
initially make its rounds in Legazpi and Salcedo
Villages in Makati. The number will steadily be
increased to 50 as new routes are determined.
The fare
is waived for the first couple of weeks while the
LTFRB’s decision is pending.
“After a
long period of waiting. We are very happy that e-jeepneys
have now been given the green light to ply commercial
routes first in the city of Makati, one of our champion
cities. Soon the e-jeepney will be in the cities of
Puerto Prinsesa, Bacolod and Baguio,” said GRIPP
chairman Athena Ballesteros.
“The
electric jeepney is a win-win solution for all
stakeholders. It provides a climate-friendly alternative
to polluting, fossil-fuel-based modes of transport, and
enhanced income to jeepney drivers. The government
should be embracing this project, instead of letting the
proponents suffer from long delays in licensing and
registration procedures,” she added.
“Given
the skyrocketing fossil-fuel prices and the imminent
threat of dangerous climate change caused largely by
fossil fuels, innovations such as the e-jeepney, which
promote renewable-energy solutions, should be the
technology of choice of developing countries like ours.
The Philippines stands to lose opportunities with the
current oil crisis, and we stand to lose even more lives
and livelihoods with the onset of severe climate-change
impacts,” said Greenpeace Southeast Asia executive
director Von Hernandez.
“Clearly, urgent solutions are needed. Aside from
initiatives by cities such as this project, the national
government should institute large-scale climate-change
solutions, such as phasing out coal-fired power plants,
and the immediate passage of strong renewable-energy
legislation by the Senate.”
The
project is sponsored in part by the Dutch Doen
Foundation and is currently supported by Makati, Baguio,
and Puerto Princesa. |
