Following Bacolod's lead, Makati starts testing electric jeepneys
Makati City will host on July 4 a test run of the electric jeepneys, the first in Metro Manila, but second only in the entire country, after Bacolod City took the lead last June 14 by testing two electric jeepneys. Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay said the “e-jeepneys" will be previewed before Binay and other city officials and representatives from environmental groups and the private sector on at the Ayala Center. Binay said the e-jeepneys will ply the Central Business District (CBD) starting this month on a test run basis, in coordination with representatives of jeepney drivers and operators, who will be considered as stakeholders of the project. Binay said Makati would lease two e-jeepneys from Green Renewable Independent Power Producer (GRIPP), the main proponent of test run, which is part of its Climate Friendly Cities (CFC) project. “If the test runs show that the project is feasible, additional units will be leased by the city," Binay said. Makati will also start promoting e-jeepneys all over Metro Manila, with the help of GRIPP and its other partners, namely Greenpeace and Solar Electric Co. (SolarCo). “This project is an innovative way of addressing two major concerns of cities, namely pollution and waste reduction. Makati is very keen on this project considering the volume of vehicle that we have in our CBD and the organic waste generated by households and commercial establishments here" Binay said. Makati's major road get a traffic volume of over 777,000 vehicles during weekdays, he pointed out. “The e-jeepney is a way of reducing carbon emission levels in the country," Binay said. “If the test runs prove successful, this could be the beginning of cleaner Philippine cities, beginning with Makati.“ Binay said the e-jeepneys can be powered by both solar energy and organic waste, without emitting noxious fumes. Jeepney drivers, he added, have been receptive to the project. “We also want to look into the economics of the project," he said. "If the electric jeepney can help increase in the income of jeepney drivers by removing their expenditure for gasoline, then all the more reason for us to push ahead with the projects." Binay said Makati and GRIPP will also study the feasibility of developing a high-solid anaerobic digester-based power plant that will be fed by organic waste of the city. He said the by-product will be used to power the electric jeepneys. The GRIPP is an organization which aims to promote the greater use of renewable energy to mitigate climate change. Binay said GRIIP is a collaborate project of Greenpeace, the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), and the International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC), with the participation of Solarco and Preferred Energy Inc. - GMANews.TV