Electric jeepneys start plying in Makati… for free!

e-jeepney.

So much about driving tips. If you’re curious about what the hoopla about electric jeepneys is all about, Bel-Air Village in Makati is the place to be. To test its viability as a viable mode of transportation for the general public, a couple of e-jeeps are already transporting passengers to neighboring Rockwell Center… and it’s all for free!

The electric jeepneys will pick up passengers hourly for two months as part of its commercial and technical testing phase. The operation was launched yesterday by the Makati City Government, the Green Independent Power Producer (GRIPP), and Greenpeace Philippines as part of the thrust to “provide a cheaper fuel alternative” to jeepney drivers and make the air quality clean.

Apparently, this is just the start. “Once the pilot testing of the E-Jeepneys is finished, the next phase involves the construction of a bio-digester powerplant, where organic waste from (Makati’s) wet markets and restaurants will be converted to electricity into which the E-Jeepneys will be plugged for charging. Use of climate-change inducing fossil fuels will therefore be eliminated,” GRIPP stated.

Aside from Makati City, the other local government unit supporting the project is Bacolod which has ordered 50 electric jeepneys from China under a grant from a Dutch foundation.

However, mass usage of the e-jeepneys is facing rough sailing as the present classification standards issued by the Land Transportation Office only includes fossil fuel-fed vehicles. Thus, the electric jeepneys cannot be registered and issued valid license plates yet, and cannot ply public or commercial routes.