E-jeepneys to begin plying Makati villages

The first locally manufactured electric jeepneys will begin regular operations in Makati City starting July 1, officials said yesterday.

Mayor Jejomar Binay said the e-jeepneys will service office employees in Legazpi and Salcedo Villages in the city’s central business district. 

Binay said the two new e-jeepneys were manufactured by the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (MVPMAP). The first four units were made in China.

Presented to the public in July 2007, the e-jeepneys were given permission by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to ply commercial routes last month.

Binay said the e-jeepneys from MVPMAP will augment the two e-jeepneys on a test-run in Barangay Bel-Air. “If viable, Makati will consider fielding 50 e-jeepneys in the city’s streets,” he added.

The city government and private sector partners GRIPP and Greenpeace are also discussing ways to encourage jeepney drivers and operators to switch from regular jeepneys to e-jeepneys. Loans and financial assistance packages are also being considered.

Meanwhile, Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Hermenegildo San Miguel said the DPS has devised a loop system that will be the routes for the e-jeepneys. Office employees and residents in the two villages will be the main market. 

San Miguel said the e-jeepneys will do a one-week promotional run starting on July 1, after which regular fares will be applicable subject to the approval of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

The e-jeepneys’ daily operations will be from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

“We look forward to seeing how well the e-jeepneys will perform as an alternative means of public transport. We are beginning with four units and expect to have six more delivered and ready for use soon,” San Miguel said.

Binay said that “in Makati, we have started with the electric jeepneys in the hope that when it becomes commercially viable it will address the problems of rising fuel costs, promote the use of alternative fuels and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.”