TRIAL RUN FOR ‘GREEN ROUTES’ USING E-JEEPNEYS SET
BACOLOD CITY – The city government will conduct a trial run for “green routes” using electric or e-jeepneys from May 15 to 19.
Data on Friday showed two initial routes will be covered – areas in Barangay Vista Alegre in the eastern part of the city and Barangay Cabug in the south.
“The e-jeeps will provide free rides during the trial run,” the city government said in a statement.
On Thursday, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez discussed the conduct of the trial run during a meeting with Oic-regional Director Salvador Altura
Jr. and Transportation Development Officer II Joshua Gaquit of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 6 (Western Visayas) at the Bacolod City Government Center.
The trial run covers routes not included in the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) under the Public Transport Modernization Program, formerly called the PUV Modernization Program, in the city.
It will determine if the routes will be added to the LPTRP, the city government said.
Benitez earlier said that at least eight e-jeepneys are available for the dry run of the Vista Alegre and Cabug loops.
“I think this is the first in the country. We have eight e-jeeps ready to be deployed. They have obtained the certificate of compliance for registration,” he added.
Operators of e-jeepneys assisted by the city government in obtaining a provisional authority are going through the same regulatory process followed by the operators of modernized jeeps.
The mayor said they could use the city’s charging station at the Bacolod City Government Center.*(pna)