Last Wednesday, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay led Makati folks to do the first official test-run of two electric-powered jeepneys set to be cruising around Makati in the next three months.

     “Makati City welcomes the opportunity to be part of this initiative and is enthusiastic in pioneering it in the country. It is clear that, in addressing solid waste and air pollution issues, and in offering a much cheaper fuel alternative to jeepney drivers who service the city’s main routes, the project will result in clear, tangible benefits for Makati citizens,” said Mayor Binay.

     Soon to be a permanent fixture along Makati’s streets, the e-jeepneys are tagged to be the new era of jeepneys replacing their smoke-belching kind around Metro Manila. Local celebrities as well as officials of various transportation groups attended the test run held at Glorietta Park.

     The pilot test is meant to ensure the technical, commercial, environmental and social feasibility of the project, said founder and chair of Green Renewable Independent Power Producer (GRIPP) Athena Ballesteros Ronquillo. “If the project is successful, our hope is that the project will be replicated in other countries,” she added.

     The two e-jeepneys are designed by Philippine renewable firm Solar Electric Company (SolarCo). They will undergo technical and commercial tests for six months in the city and eventually in key areas in the province of Negros Occidental.
 
     During the test-run, Mayor Binay, along with other officials of GRIPP, Greenpeace and leaders of environmental groups, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to kick off the project. It puts in paper the agreement between GRIPP and Makati City in implementing the Climate Friendly Cities project, the e-jeepneys included. It states that both groups will jointly undertake a three-month demonstration project involving the utilization of electric jeepneys within the city. During the demonstration period, GRIPP will lease two electric jeepneys to Makati, subject to existing rules and regulations for the purpose of establishing the jeepneys’ viability as commercial public transportation. The fleet will be increased to 50 upon successful conclusion of the test-run phase. The MOU also states that the Makati government may assign the lease and operation of the

Page 6