Twenty ‘Electric-Powered Tricycles’ distributed to the communities of Mandaluyong City Wednesday, April 13, 2011.
The project was funded by the ‘Asian Development Bank’ (ADB). Each unit costs approximately P200,000 and can seat six to eight p(–foul word(s) removed–)engers.
“Imagine for P45 only to spend for power charge for the entire day to run a public transport” said Dodong Libordo after he test-drove for a month.
Libordo, is the head of the “Tricycle Drivers and Operators’ (–foul word(s) removed–)ociation” in Barangay (village) Addition Hills, promised for joy of operating the e-trike.
“Apart from carrying commuters, you can use it even for other purposes. It’s easy to handle, and more than anything else, it’s not noisy and smoke free vehicle. You won’t be exposed to the heat and the rain, he said Wednesday during the turnover of the vehicle to the (–foul word(s) removed–)ociation at the ground of City Hall of Mandaluyong, with President Benigno Aquino as guest speaker.
Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos said, “The cost for charging the e-trikes in any of the city’s four charging stations is P45 for a 24-hour run. It’s worth comparing to the conventional tricycles in which costs around P250 worth of gasoline for eight to 10 hours.”
“If we can introduce 20,000 e-trikes to the streets of Manila, it will save the Philippines around 100,000 liters of foreign fuel imports each day, thereby saving the country about $35-million annually,” said Sohail Hasni, ADB principal energy specialist in a statement.
“This initiative can benefit a lot in the country, not only our environment, but it also supports the Philippines’ drive to become more energy-dependent,” he added.
The 20 ‘e-trikes’ in Mandaluyong are just a start for the government plans to order 20,000 more, Aquino said.
“The project is one good solution to protect the country from the rising prices of petroleum products that the government has no control over the increasing price,” said the President.
“I DREAM OF A DAY WHEN OUR PUBLIC UTILITY VEHICLES WILL RUN ON SOME ALTERNATIVE FUEL. THIS ELECTRIC TRICYCLE PROJECT IS A HUMBLE BEGINNING TOWARDS THAT AMBITIOUS END,” said the President.
“For those who are experiencing the effects of high oil prices, those who want to do something about it and even those who are not old enough to understand it. Going alternative, may it be electric, compressed natural gas or hybrid, is a win-win situation. It will benefit us all, but more than anything else, it benefits those who are most in need,” he added.