Makati launches 3rd route for eJeepneys

(Updated 2:53 p.m.) On the birthday of Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay, Jr. on Tuesday, the local government of Makati launched a third route dedicated to electric jeepneys (eJeepney) in the city. The new route, called the Makati Heritage Route, will cover about five kilometers of key commercial establishments and historical sites in Makati City. It is supposed to go around Barangay Poblacion from the Makati City Hall where many ancestral houses are located; the Museo ng Makati, Poblacion Park, Pio Del Pilar High School, and all the way through the Power Plant Mall towards Estrella and EDSA.
"As developing countries like the Philippines continue to face the so-called triple crises facing the economy, energy and the environment, cities like Makati can show the way and lead local government efforts at building climate resilient infrastructure and development of sustainable transportation programs," Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay, Jr. said in a statement. Makati City is one of the pilot sites of the Climate Friendly Cities project, an integrated waste management, sustainable transport and clean energy program developed by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC). The ICSC is the non-profit organization which pioneered eJeepneeys in the Philippines. The eJeepneys, which have a capacity of 12 passengers, run on electricity and are charged for six hours in Makati's fire stations. "Makati demonstrates the kind of bold leadership necessary for cities and municipalities to abandon business-as-usual, carbon-intensive energy and waste management practices," said ICSC Executive Director Red Constantino. The ICSC said that cities consume over two-thirds of the world’s energy and are responsible for over 70 percent of global CO2 emissions. It likewise cited data from the International Energy Agency, which said that 2010 marked the highest concentration of CO2 emissions ever in the atmosphere. Makati has a total of 15 eJeepneys plying three routes (Salcedo Village Route, Legazpi Village Route, and Estrella-Makati City Route) exclusive to public electric transport. The eJeepneys provide free rides from 7 am to 10 am; 11 am to 1 pm; and 4 pm to 6:30 pm from Monday to Friday. The Makati Heritage Route is a loop that will traverse Makati City Hall/Pio del Pilar High School, proceeding to Century City / B. Valdez / Makati Ave., Cristo Rey / Burgos / Rivera, Museo / JP Rizal / Poblacion Park, Rockwell Center, EDSA / Estrella, JP Rizal / Estrella, Museo / JP Rizal / Poblacion Park, JP Rizal / Makati Ave, JP Rizal / E. Zobel, and back to Makati City Hall. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News