By Ashley Manabat / Correspondent
CLARK FREE PORT—The first Filipino-made hybrid road train was unveiled at the Parade Grounds here on Thursday before members of the media by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in cooperation with Clark Development Corp. (CDC).
Made by the Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) of the DOST, headed by Assistant Secretary Robert O. Dizon, the project to assemble hybrid road train cost the government P45 million.
According to Dizon, the hybrid road train has five air-conditioned interlinked coaches, four of which can accommodate a total of 60 passengers each, for a maximum of 240 passengers per trip.
It has a maximum speed of 50 kilowatt-per-hour and is powered by a hybrid engine that runs on either diesel fuel or electric batteries. The rear coach generates the power for the entire transport, and is totally and proudly Filipino-made, he added.
CDC President and CEO Arthur P. Tugade said a similar train with the same technology is already being used in San Francisco, USA, but the MIRDC-made hybrid road train is the only one of its kind in the Philippines.
Dizon said that in April 2012, the DOST spearheaded the launching of the Makinarya Teknolohiya Para sa Bayan, which aimed to strengthen private-and-public sector linkages.
He said the initiative helped MIRDC forge a “partnership with quite a number of industry associations across various sectors of the metals and engineering industries.”
It is because of this endeavor that the hybrid road train was “conceptualized, implemented and now launched,” which is now “among the newest addition to our developed technology,” the assistant secretary said.
Tugade said it was only last year when CDC silently partnered with the DOST to experiment and test the hybrid-road rail-transit system because of the corporation’s commitment to promote a green environment and a world-class competitive economic zone.
“It was our idea then as it is our plan now that we can have an integrated transport system that will operate within Clark,” Tugade said during the launch.
But the CDC president said the hybrid road train is still a “work in progress; a project in testing and on trial.”
He said CDC’s plan and vision is to have an integrated transport system like the hybrid road train, but with only two coaches before the year ends.
“Because, as an economic zone, we have to measure the travel time between the workplace and the gates, which should only be seven minutes maximum,” Tugade said.
He said that, with the five coaches, it might be difficult to make the turns in road intersections, which will prolong the travel time.
Tugade said the concept should be “hop in, hop out” for passengers with fare cards readable by a radio- frequency identification reader.
It should also have a Wi-Fi available onboard, since it will be operating inside the free port, he added.
The DOST said the 40-meter-long hybrid road train is developed to help address the worsening mass- transportation problem in Metro Manila and in other urban areas throughout the Philippines.
Technology Secretary Mario G. Montejo, who arrived late for the ceremony, said he is hoping that with the larger passenger capacity of the hybrid road train, it will be able to absorb more commuters, especially during rush hour. “We hope to see them on our streets the moment they are fully commercialized,” he added.
The DOST said the hybrid road train is among those picked by experts to be at the forefront of mass transport in the coming years. Unlike conventional railway systems, the hybrid road train is more energy efficient, since there is no need for alternating current running through suspended cables.
It also produces less smoke emissions compared with cars, trucks, or buses, thus, creating a smaller carbon footprint and contributing to a cleaner environment.
The hybrid road train is launched as part of the preparations for the DOST’s upcoming 2015 National Science and Technology Week, which will run from July 24 to 28 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.
Image credits: Kevin de la Cruz