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The Philippines’ National EST Strategy – Final Report
Friends and some acquaintances have been asking about whether there is a master plan for sustainable transport in Philippines. There is none, but there is a national strategy that should serve as the basis for the development and implementation of a master plan, whether at the national or local level. This strategy was formulated with assistance of the United Nations Council for Regional Development (UNCRD) through the Philippines’ Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which served as the focal agencies for this endeavour. The formulation was conducted by the National Center for Transportation Studies (NCTS) of the University of the Philippines Diliman. For reference, you can go to the NCTS website for an electronic copy of the National Environmentally Sustainable Transport Strategy Final Report.
Cover page for the National EST Strategy Final Report
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Future fare collection for jeepneys and other modes?
In the last Electric Vehicle Summit held in late February this year, I noticed a conspicuous device installed in the electric jeepney unit that was on display at the venue. The device is for electronic payment of fares; using a card much like the ones being used in other countries like Singapore and Japan, and soon, hopefully, for the LRT and MRT in Metro Manila. Such a capability has a lot of potential including a very convenient way to pay fares for public transport in Metro Manila. Other potential uses would be for payments of items bought at stores or shops (or vending machines) like Japan’s Suica card. Users would just have to “top up” or load their cards for these to be used in their commutes or purchases.
The latest e-jeepney model features a side door instead of one at the rear.
Boarding passengers will encounter device upon entering the vehicle. The current technology available should soon enable passengers to use “tap” cards to pay for their fares.
Such a device will leas to a more efficient fare collection and eliminate the need for “conductors” or persons assisting the driver in taking passengers’ fares. These should also allow the driver to focus on driving rather than be distracted by fare collection including trying to keep track of who has paid and who has change due. This would likely translate into safer travel for most people.
Electronic boards at the top behind the driver can provide travel information such as the next stop or traffic conditions along the transit route. Such information can be derived from various sources including the MMDA or local governments as well as from crowd-sourcing.
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Vehicles at the 3rd Electric Vehicle Summit
The 3rd Electric Vehicle Summit was held last February 27-28, 2014. It was hosted by Meralco and featured presentations and discussion on the many issues regarding electric vehicle promotion and deployment in the Philippines. Outside the venue of the more formal presentations was an exhibit of the various electric vehicles that are currently available and being promoted by various proponents and companies. These include 2, 3 and 4-wheelers that can be used for either private or public transport.
I observed that there are definitely a lot of improvements since the last exhibition in the previous EV Summit in 2012. Vehicle designs have evolved and for the better. Local manufacturers or companies have partnered with foreign companies who have more experience in EVs so its a good thing. They will definitely learn a lot from their partners and we cannot over-emphasize the importance of technology transfer particularly in areas or aspects where local manufacturers are weak like the controller and the motor.
3-wheeler tuktuk design
The COMET, which is being proposed as a replacement for the conventional jeepneys.
More 3-wheelers and an electric car from the same company that brought us the EVs at Bonifacio Global City that are nearing extinction.
Electric mini car
Traditional design of tricycle – electric motorcycle with side car
Electric motorcycle with a more sporty design
Same model electric motorcycle fitted with a conventional sidecar
Another tuktuk design 3-wheeler – this one looks very much like the EVs in operation at BGC in Taguig.
Many companies were supposed to have submitted bids to the DOE-ADB initiative to push for electric tricycles. There are still no assurances whether these e-trikes will replace conventional ones currently dominating transport in many cities and municipalities around the country.
Another electric 4-wheeler. These still look more like glamorized golf carts than the sleek electric cars currently in the market that includes the popular but expensive Tesla.
The newest model of the e-jeepney from PhUV, the first to manufacture local electric jeepneys including the models now running in Makati, Pasig and Quezon City. I learned that they have partnered with TECO, a Taiwanese company that has extensive experience in EVs. Notice the passenger door is already at the right side of the vehicle instead of the rear.
Participants to the EV summit tried out the different EVs on display and for demo rides. The latest model e-jeepney was quite popular especially to foreign participants.
3-wheeler and mini-bus designs from KEA Industrial
Charging station developed by the same company – I think they’re trying to appeal to the “tingi” mentality of Filipinos by indicating PhP 10/15 minutes of charge.
Perhaps one of if not the best e-trike that was on display was this model by Japanese manufacturers. They were supposed to have been selected by DOE and ADB for the first phase of the e-trike project that will see the deployment of 5,000+ e-trikes in different Philippine cities.
Mitsubishi featured its elective Outlander, which, I observed, got more attention from the well-heeled participants. Students on field trips for the exhibit were not into this example of the more refined EV models.
Another tuktuk 3-wheeler design from Prozza. I don’t really remember all the participating exhibitors but most of them bid for the e-trike project of the DOE-ADB.
The same 6-seater e-trike from Prozza in green body color.
I would defer from a quick assessment of these EVs to another post. For now, I just like to show the models that were shown in the recent summit. Suffice it to say that I have high hopes for EVs in the Philippines but then we need to really look into the context for these vehicles as well as the sustainability given the challenges of power generation for many areas in the country.
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Harbinger of change for public transport?
Comets have been viewed as signs, omens or harbingers of something that will happen. I like the word “harbinger” more than “omen.” It brings about a certain mystery to it that does not necessarily imply something bad or evil. In this case, the comet is a vehicle and “Comet” stands for City Optimized Managed Electric Transport, an electric jitney that is being touted as a replacement for the ubiquitous jeepney that has evolved from its WW2 ancestor. It does have the potential of being a game changer if there is an enabling environment for it and if (a big “if”) it addresses fundamental issues with electric vehicles such as those that are technical (battery life, range, speed, etc.), pertaining to after sales (maintenance, technical support) and operational (suitable routes, fares, charging stations, etc.).
[All photos taken by Engr. Sheila Javier of the National Center for Transportation Studies]
Prototype Comet at the NCTS parking lot – notice that it is larger than the AUV on the other side of the vehicle. The Comet will utilize a tap card for fares, similar to the card that is proposed for use in the Automated Fare Collection System for the LRT/MRT system.
Inside the vehicle, one immediately gets a feeling of space. In fact, a person can stand inside the vehicle unlike the case of jeepneys where people need to bend so as not to bump their heads at the ceiling.
The vehicle has a side entrance and exit unlike the rear doors of typical jeepneys.
The Comet looks like a mini-bus from behind. Proponents have stated that drivers will be trained for road safety as well as operations for designated stops and scheduled services.
The Comet is being touted as a replacement for the jeepney and is being promoted via an initial route that would connect SM Megamall in Ortigas Center, Pasig City to SM City North EDSA in Quezon City. The route will be counter-clockwise from SM Megamall to SM North EDSA via Circumferential Road 5 including E. Rodriguez Avenue and Katipunan Avenue, UP Diliman, Commonwealth Avenue, Elliptical Road and North Avenue. From SM North to SM Megamall, it will take EDSA. While I am not sure if the Comet has been granted a franchise and how many units they can deploy, this proposed route will overlap with existing jeepney and bus routes including direct competition with UP-Katipunan and UP-North EDSA routes, and buses plying routes that cover the stretch from North EDSA to Ortigas Center. I think that this route is mainly for publicity considering there are probably other, more suitable routes for the Comet. It has not been subject to rigorous tests (just like the e-jeepneys before it), which is not a good thing, considering the experiences of the e-tricycle in Taguig and the e-jeepneys in Makati. Hopefully, they have learned the lessons from these past efforts and that they already have the answers hounding EVs as applied to public transport.
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What is the context for electric tricycles in the Philippines?
The NEDA Board recently approved six projects that included one that will be promoting electric vehicles throughout the country. Entitled “Market Transformation through Introduction of Energy Efficient Electric Vehicles Project” (formerly Market Transformation through Introduction of Energy Efficient Electric Tricycle (E-Trike) Project), the endeavor seeks to replace thousands of existing conventional motorized 3-wheelers (tricycles) with e-trikes and to develop and deploy charging stations for these vehicles. While I have nothing against electric vehicles and have supported their promotion for use in public transport, I am a bit worried about the context by which electric tricycles are being peddled especially the part about equating “transformation” with “replacement.”
First, it is a technology push for an innovation that has not been fully and satisfactorily tested in Philippine conditions. The deployment of e-trikes in Bonifacio Global City is practically a failure and a mode that was not suitable from the start for the area it was supposed to serve (i.e., while there were already jeepneys serving the area, there were also the Fort Bus services and plans for a BRT linking the Ayala CBD and BGC. There are now few (rare sightings) of these e-trikes remaining at the Fort, as most of these vehicles are no longer functioning due to problems regarding the batteries, motors, and issues regarding maintenance. Meanwhile, the e-trikes in Mandaluyong, a more recent model, have also been difficult to maintain with one case reportedly needing the unit to be sent back to China for repairs.
Second, the e-trikes are a whole new animal (or mode of transport). I have pointed out in the past including in one ADB forum that the 6 to 8 seater e-trike model is basically a new type of paratransit. Their larger capacities mean one unit is not equivalent to one of the current models of conventional tricycles (i.e., the ones you find in most city and municipality around the country). Thus, replacement should not be “1 e-trike : 1 tricycle” but perhaps “1:2” (or even “1:3” in some cases). This issue has not been resolved as the e-trike units continue to be marketed as a one to one replacement for conventional trikes. There should be guidelines on this that local government units can use, particularly for adjusting the number of franchises or authorized tricycles in their respective jurisdictions. Will such come from the Department of Energy (DOE)? Or is this something that should emanate from Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)? Obviously, the last thing we like to see would be cities like Cabanatuan, Tarlac or Dagupan having so many e-trikes running around after they have replaced the conventional ones, and causing congestion in the cities. Emissions from the tricycle may have been reduced but emissions from other vehicles should be significant due to the congestion.
Third, the proliferation of e-trikes will tie our cities and municipalities to tricycles. Many cities already and definitely need to upgrade their public transport systems (e.g., tricycles to jeepneys or jeepneys to buses, and so on). Simply replacing tricycles with electric powered ones does not effect “true” transformation from the transport perspective. Is the objective of transformation mainly from the standpoint of energy? If so, then there is something amiss with the project as it does not and cannot address the transport, traffic and social aspects of the service provided by tricycles (and other modes of transport).
So what is the context for the e-trikes or conventional tricycles? They are not even under the purview of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) as they are regulated by LGUs. Shouldn’t the DOTC or the LTFRB be involved in this endeavor? Shouldn’t these agencies be consulted with the formulation of a framework or guidelines for rationalizing and optimizing transport in our cities? These are questions that should be answered by the proponents of this project and questions that should not be left to chance or uncertainty in so far as the ultimate objective is supposed to be to improve transport in the country. I have no doubt that the e-trikes have the potential to improve air quality and perhaps the also the commuting experience for many people. I have worries, however, that its promise will not be kept especially in light of energy supply issues that our country is still struggling with and deserves the attention of the DOE more than the e-trikes they are peddling.
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Mobility for all?
We chanced upon the fellow shown driving an electric vehicle below with what was apparently his wheelchair mounted behind the vehicle. And then I remembered seeing other people in wheelchairs traveling along the traffic lanes of similar streets, and exposed to the high risks of being sideswiped or bumped by motor vehicles. These and other persons with disabilities (PWDs) are among what we usually categorize as transportation poor or those who are marginalized when traveling. Marginalization comes in many forms including the lack of or inadequate infrastructure and facilities for PWDs. Sidewalks are usually narrow, making it difficult even for able people to use, and definitely inaccessible to persons needing the space to move about.
I remember that Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (translated Home without stairs or steps) is located in Cainta, Rizal. We used to see PWDs on their wheelchairs traveling along Bonifacio Avenue in the poblacion to go to church on Sundays. Often, jeepneys, buses and cars come very close to them that you might wince at the near misses of what could easily be a tragedy just waiting to happen given the odd mix of people on wheelchairs mixed with motorized traffic along the carriageway. The local government should have exerted more efforts to put up facilities adequate for the needs of pedestrians in general and PWDs in particular; the latter considering the significant number of constituents requiring such facilities. On a map, you can even see that Tahanang Walang Hagdanan is just beside the Cainta Local Government Complex. I believe the provision of basic facilities to enhance the safety and mobility of PWDs is just one example of what a city or town should be doing towards realizing inclusive transport or inclusive mobility at their level. It would definitely go far in promoting people friendly, sustainable transport for all.
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The electric bus and other thoughts on bus operations in Manila
An electric bus was on display at the 2nd Electric Vehicle Summit recently held at the Meralco Multi-purpose Hall. The exterior reminded me of the buses I rode in Yokohama and Saitama during my stints as a student and later as a visiting researcher. Following are a few photos I took of the exterior and interior of the bus. Most of the following notes are comments applicable to city buses operating in the Philippines rather than specifically for electric buses.
This electric bus was imported from Taiwan by the Victory Liner Inc.., which is among the largest provincial bus operators in the Philippines. The first thing I noticed is that the bus has a low floor, perhaps the same height as most curbs, but this can be a concern considering many of Metro Manila’s streets are subject to flash floods during the wet season.
The interior and layout is perhaps the most appropriate for buses with city operations. There is sufficient standing space from the front to the middle of the bus. Seats here are usually for the elderly or physically challenged and includes space for a wheelchair. Most city buses in Metro Manila have layouts that are suitable for long distance trips, with many seats and often narrow corridors.
The seats at the back look very inviting and I assume are comfy for long rides not because of distances but congestion. Obviously, these seats and especially those at the back, which require passengers to negotiate a few steps are free for all though those in the lower level may be reserved for the elderly, physically-challenged or pregnant women.
A look at the driver’s seat with the emblem of the manufacturer, RAC, on the steering wheel. I saw an article on the electric bus stating its specs (top speed of 95 kph and range of 270 km on a single charge). I’m really not worried about the specs given the advances in technology these days. I think it will still boil down to driver behavior when it comes to the question of road safety and the provision of efficient services for the public.
Unlike most city buses in the Philippines, this bus has 2 doors. The one at the front may be used for entrance and there’s space for transactions, i.e., payment of fares, showing passes or swiping of cards. The one at the back is wider for more efficient unloading of passengers. There is also a provision for a ramp that can be used by persons on wheelchairs.
The potential benefits derived from electric buses are quite obvious from the environmental perspective. I like its chances for success considering that the initiative is being pushed by a major company like Victory, which might have to show the way by being an example and be the first to deploy these buses on an actual route. Victory’s business, however, is in provincial operations so there should be at least one taker from among the companies operating in Metro Manila to use these buses on a route.
For demonstration purposes, I think Bonifacio Global City with its Fort Bus service can provide a good route for a start. The Fort is ideal for such electric buses given the current demand and route length. Charging stations may also be provided at the route ends, particularly at the Market! Market! transport terminal. Another option might be Katipunan, with electric buses allowed to enter the Ateneo campus and perhaps help alleviate traffic congestion there by encouraging their students and staff to use public transport. One end may be at the UP Diliman campus where the buses may also be allowed to enter the campus but perhaps take a route that won’t necessarily compete with jeepneys on campus (e.g., Academic Oval). Deciding the other end of the route would be a bit tricky but one option can be near SM Marikina where a secure terminal can be established and sufficient space for “park and ride” or “kiss and ride” operations. These might just be success stories in public transport waiting to happen.
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Electric vehicle revolution in the Philippines
It started with the deployment of the first electric jeepneys and tricycles about 5 years ago. Today, electric vehicles are the rage in the Philippines with public transport being the main application of the e-vehicles. Makati already has 3 operational e-jeepney routes including the first e-vehicles to be registered and the first franchise for public transport. E-trikes have been operating in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig as well as in limited numbers in Puerto Princesa, Surigao and Boracay. During the 2nd Electric Vehicle Summit held last May 24-25, 2012 at the Meralco grounds, models of various electric vehicles for private and public transport use were on display for people to inspect and appreciate. These included cars, motorcycles, tricycles, jeepneys and a bus. Special mention goes to the Segway booth and its clone, which featured more personalized modes that are not really in the same category as most of the e-vehicles on display.
Mitsubishi’s entry in the local market is via the MiEV, a unit of which was donated to the Department of Energy (DOE)
The REVAi is a small car produced by an Indian company. The logo on the car is of the leading battery company in the country.
A locally assembled electric tricycle that is now popular in tourist areas like resorts.
The 4-wheeled e-vehicle dubbed as the E-quad that is locally assembled.
Variants of 3- and 4-wheeled e-vehicles including one (visible on the left) that is designed as a pick-up or delivery vehicle. All are made by local companies.
Electric motorcycles with one having a sidecar, which is the same form of the traditional tricycles that are the dominant public transport mode in local roads, many small cities and rural areas in the country.
The electric jeepney that is also locally assembled with the motor and controller the only major components that are imported. I think this model is the latest one and has a more powerful motor that allows the vehicle to negotiate steeper slopes. Other models are currently operating in Makati City (CBD) and as shuttles in shopping mall complexes and industrial areas.
Another e-trike with form similar to the Thai tuktuks and another, a 4-wheeler, made to look like the popular Hummer vehicles.
Electric scooters on display outside the summit venue
The electric bus imported by a company affiliated with Victory Liner, one of the largest provincial bus companies in the Philippines was a popular attraction during the summit.
There are still many issues pertaining to the deployment or operations of e-vehicles in the Philippines. Among the more important ones involve costs and the need for infrastructure such as charging stations to support e-vehicles. Unlike the experiences in other countries, especially in Europe, the e-vehicle initiatives in the Philippines are mainly for public transport rather than for private use. In fact, the DOE’s E-trike project together with the ADB looks to the deployment of 100,000 e-trikes to replace traditional tricycles around the country. This seems to be a small initiative considering Metro Manila alone has about 250,000 legally operating tricycles (there are quite many illegally operating units) and an estimated more than 1.5 million legal units around the country. But such initiatives if carried out and evaluated scientifically, systematically and objectively will surely go a long way to addressing transport problems in this country. The Makati e-jeepneys already provide a good model for replication elsewhere and soon, more studies will be underway to evaluate such vehicles in comparison with the traditional jeepneys and the emerging Auto-LPG variant. With an impending law that will provide incentives for electric, hybrid and other alternative-powered vehicles, e-vehicles will be here to stay and perhaps effect a transformation of Philippine transport.
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PhP 21.5 B for electric tricycles
Another article came out today, this time from GMA News about the NEDA’s approval of a PhP 21.5 Billion project for electric tricycles. The approval of the project is said to be based on the evaluation of a feasibility study submitted by its proponent, the Department of Energy (DOE). I have not yet seen this FS and I am not aware of any formal studies in this regard that has been made public so I cannot make a fair comment with regards to what the NEDA had as reference materials in their assessment. I am aware of one private initiative where UP was involved but to my knowledge this has not been disseminated or shared by the Client to government agencies. Though caution is still very much necessary and desired when moving forward with this e-trike project (What would happen to spent batteries? Is there adequate technical support? Charging stations? Policies regarding phasing out conventional tricycles?), it is hoped that this will be one of those “tipping point” moments that will ultimately benefit the country.
The article on the e-trike is reproduced below:
MELAY GUANZON LAPEÑA, GMA News March 26, 2012 5:29pmThe National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) approved a P21.5-billion project to promote sustainable transportation and achieve energy efficiency.
The Market Transformation through Introduction of Energy Efficient Electric Tricycle (E-trike) Project will reduce fuel consumption of tricycles by 2.8 percent, equivalent to 560,926 oil barrels, NEDA said in a statement Monday.
“The project will distribute 100,000 E-trikes to tricycle operators on a lease-to-own arrangement, replacing their old gas-fed and two-stroke gasoline engine units. This way, we are also able to protect our environment,” according to NEDA, citing Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA board vice chair Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr.
“The electric tricycle is a specially designed, highly efficient tricycle that runs on a motor powered by a battery charged by electricity. E-trikes produce no noise, no tailpipe emissions, and represent an opportunity to make public transportation in the Philippines more environmentally conscious while improving the livelihood of tricycle drivers across the country,” reads the project description on the website of Asian Development Bank, which is financing part of the project through a P12.9-billion loan.
The project was proposed by the Department of Energy (DOE).
Additional financing will come from the Clean Technology Fund (P4.3 billion loan and P43 million grant), Clean Development Mechanism facility (P860 million), Philippine government counterpart funding (P3.397 billion).
Early this month, the DOE selected 10 winners in a nationwide contest for the best E-trike design on a theme of “Bright Now! Do Right, Be Bright.”
According to the DOE, the design is optimized to ensure structural integrity.
ADB explained that the project gives tricycle drivers the opportunity to lease or lease-to-own the E-trikes by paying less than 200 pesos a day, which translates to a higher take-home income.
“For example, a conventional tricycle needs between 5 and 7 liters of gasoline to travel approximately 100 kms, costing P250 to P350. To travel the same 100 kms, an E-trike will use between 3 kWh and 5 kWh of electricity, costing only P30 to P50. The 200 peso difference in fuel savings will help the driver pay for the cost of the E-trike,” ADB added.
The pilot project was launched in April 2011, with 20 E-trikes deployed in Mandaluyong City. The E-trikes use two different types of lithium ion battery technology—the 3 kWh and 6 kWh battery packs.
Models with the 3 kWh battery pack can run as far as 50 km on a single charge, and can be recharged to 80 percent in under 30 minutes at fast charging stations. Models using the 6 kWh battery pack can go up to 100km on a single overnight charge.
Sen. Edgardo Angara, who heads the Congressional Commission on Science, and Technology, and Engineering, lauded the E-trike project, saying the use of e-vehicles could lower air pollution levels and lessen the dependence on oil.
“Once thousands of E-trikes begin to be manufactured, many new jobs could be created. Working together, we can give Manila cleaner air, bluer skies, and a more livable environment,” Kunio Senga, director-general of ADB’s Southeast Asia Department, said in an earlier report.
The Quezon City government is preparing pilot test the E-trikes. According to a news release, the city has conducted an Eco-Driving Training for Quezon City Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associations (QC-TODA).
Discussed was the impact of good driving behavior, proper engine maintenance for lesser emissions and reduced maintenance cost as well as increased fuel saving for the current conventional tricycles operating in the city.
QC will be given 22,000 E-trikes over five years—the largest allocation among LGUs in Metro Manila—2,000 this year and 5,000 every other 4 years.
“The project is expected to complement the city government’s continuing effort to mitigate the ill effects of pollution on public health and safety. This would also pave the way for the gradual phase-out of conventional tricycles now plying city roads,” according to a statement by the Quezon City government.
Under Phase I of the project, 20,000 E-trikes will be distributed to operators in Metro Manila, Boracay, Puerto Princesa City, Cabanatuan City, and Davao City from 2012 to 2013.
Eighty thousand units will be distributed to operators in municipalities and cities that are still to be determined under Phase II (2013 to 2016).
NEDA said the project aims to promote, establish and develop electric-vehicle support industries such as battery leasing, recycling and disposal, and motor supply chain and charging stations.
But the Electric Vehicle Alliance and the Partnership for Clean Air are questioning the project, saying its funds were reallocated from the renewable energy industry—originally stipulated in the Clean Technology Fund.
Greenpeace is also not happy with the project.
“Why are we rushing this project?” asked Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner Francis Dela Cruz.
While E-trikes are not bad in terms of technology, Dela Cruz said
they are not necessarily good for the environment. “Hindi siya magiging source ng mobile pollution, but because you use power outlets to charge, you are just shifting to a stationary source of pollution—the fossil fuel-fired power plants,” he said.In addition, the project-mechanism that involves LGUs as lenders make the project seem dubious to Greenpeace.
“Kaya bang magpautang at maningil? Baka magpapautang tapos hindi maniningil, ang magbabayad ang taong bayan,” Dela Cruz said, noting this will be unfair to taxpayers who don’t benefit from the project but may end up having to indirectly pay for it. — VS, GMA News
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First franchise for the electric jeepney
The first franchise for electric public transport was issued by the Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in favor of the electric jeepneys that currently service routes in the City of Makati, the financial center of Metro Manila. An article featuring the LTFRB’s issuance of the first electric vehicle franchise may be found here. Initially, these e-jeepneys were operating with support from the Makati City Government, which had the foresight for environment friendly public transport. But despite the formality of their routes in that city’s CBD, the e-jeepneys could only rely on donations, being unable to charge fares in part due their having no franchise to authorize them to do so.
The journey towards this first franchise was a long and somewhat arduous one. It took quite some time for the e-jeepneys to be recognized and registered under the Land Transportation Office (LTO) as the agency didn’t have guidelines that were flexible enough to admit a new generation of vehicles birthed by the desire to come up with low emission, low carbon transport to address environment concerns. For one, as the popular anecdote goes, the LTO was insisting on the vehicle having a tailpipe! Another story involved inspectors being dumbfounded by the vehicle not having a conventional engine (the e-jeepney had an electric motor). There are other stories (some probably tales) about other obstacles that the proponents of the e-jeepney had encountered from government as well as their own ranks (e.g., businessmen who just wanted to make a quick buck and weren’t really looking at the medium and long term of e-vehicle applications and deployment). And these add up to the significance of their accomplishments up to this point.
It is very fortunate and definitely admirable that proponents of the e-jeepney led by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (iCSC) and active players such as the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) and those in the private sector have passionately and persistently pushed for the mainstreaming of electric vehicles. The group, now under the umbrella of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) has been able to get the attention and support of bigger players such as Meralco and its mother corporation Metro Pacific. In fact, EVAP has been very strong in their lobbying for incentive to electric, hybrid and other vehicles using alternative energy sources. Perhaps with the continued, unflagging efforts of the group we will eventually see the transformation of Philippine road transport to one that is environmentally sustainable.
Theirs is a group that is very well grounded, knowing that the stakes are high and that the public and the transport sector need to be convinced of the viability of e-vehicles. The social and economic aspects of e-vehicles replacing conventional local transport modes such as the jeepney and the tricycle are quite complex when seen from the perspective of livelihood; a topic that seems to have been taboo to transport planners and policymakers. Yet, it is a topic that would ultimately have to be dealt with or addressed if real transformation is to be achieved for road public transport even outside the realm of the e-vehicle initiatives.
Transport, after all, is not entirely an energy issue or something simplified into such. This is why the various agencies need to work closely together and with organizations like the EVAP, the academe and international agencies like the ADB and the WB. It is a challenge to all concerned, and most especially to the DOTC, the DENR and the DOE to collaborate and encourage discussions in order to effect meaningful changes to our transport system. This should be pursued instead of the current set-up where national agencies like the DOTC and DOE appear to be working independently of each other while dealing with the same concerns. This can be problematic as well as wasteful in terms of time and other resources (e.g., funds), and may lead to confusion to the people and organizations involved.
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Caught (up) in traffic 