Palace prioritizing program for electric PUVs

In the wake of continued increases in prices of fuel, the government has started taking steps to wean public utility vehicles from fossil fuels, Malacañang said Wednesday. Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Departments of Energy and Transportation and Communications have made the first step with tricycles. “Yan ay priority measure, 'di maaring magpatuloy ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon na masyado tayong naliligalig sa pagkaroon ng volatility of oil price movement," he said in an interview on dzXL radio. He noted they are starting the program with some one million public utility tricycles in the country. The government will use a grant from the Asian Development Bank for this, he said. “Ang unang programa natin, ang pinaka-basic transportation na ginagamit, ang tricycle. Ang objective natin alisin totally ang dependence ng tricycle sa oil at magkaroon ng electric tricycles," he said. Coloma said that once this is completed, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will set their sights on other public utility vehicles such as jeeps and buses. Many buses already use other forms of energy such as compressed natural gas (CNG) while some taxis and jeeps have been modified to use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). “As for other forms of public transport, the DOTC and DOE are firming up specific measures," he said. Power sector slightly affected Meanwhile, Coloma noted the energy situation was not too affected by the rising prices of oil since only nine percent of electric power is sourced from fossil fuel. He said only nine percent of electric power is generated through fossil fuel and the 91 percent is sourced from geothermal, hydroelectric and coal. “Di tayo masyadong apektado, 9 percent lang ang fuel-related," he said. — LBG, GMA News