DOE outlines policy for public transport modernization

The Department of Energy (DOE) has started delineating the set of policies that it will be pushing as anchor to the public transport modernization program in the country.

Energy Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella noted that the department will “support the development of alternative technology fuel and fuel options that demonstrate energy efficiency, such as hybrid and electric vehicles in the transport sector.”

However, even the deployment of EVs and other facets of public transport modernization in the country, have not been gaining as much traction –compared to other countries in the Southeast Asian region. That was mainly due to nascent public acceptance also.

ASEAN neighbors such as Thailand, for instance, are accelerating better on EVs because car vendors take the initiative of setting up chargers in the homes of EV car buyers; and at the same, charging in public sites such as malls are being extended for free.

In Vietnam, there is also a bold pronouncement from government that they will be taking out ‘motor bikes’ from city roads at the completion of their rail system – both to de-clog the metropolis of such type of traditional transport system; and to make their cities’ view as modern, safe and enticing as possible.

For so many years, the Philippine government is still at that process of encouraging stakeholders “to scale up the use of alternative fuels and energy efficient technologies,” as noted by Fuentebella.

The department continuously anchors policy prescriptions on the rising cost of oil and the very heavy dependence that the country has on the importation of such commodity – making public motorists then to be very vulnerable to price fluctuations at the petroleum pumps.

In addition, the public transport’s immense reliance on fossil fuels has not been benefiting the country on climate change mitigation goals as well as in ridding air pollution problem in cities.

“The current annual motor vehicle growth rate of about 6.0-percent will likely increase road transport emissions,” Fuentebella said, adding that “this will result in the further deterioration of the country’s air quality, and an increase in carbon footprint.”

The energy official further noted that “the heavy dependence of the Philippines on imported fuels makes the country vulnerable to energy supply disruptions and global price fluctuations.”

So far, on the assessment of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, “a low carbon path in the transport sector is an essential part of the Philippines’ strategic priority and we will pursue cleaner, indigenous and optimized energy and transport.”

And to the energy department in general, Fuentebella emphasized they have been pursuing “holistic approach” to shore up the deployment pace of alternative fuel technologies in the country.

Core part of the value chain, according to the energy official, will be the construction of support structures – such as EV charging stations – and the need to establish strong, after-sales services to address issues on the availability of service centers and replacement parts, as well as the sustainability of e-vehicle operations.