VARIOUS transport groups backed on Tuesday the operation of the first-ever solar-powered vehicle to pilot in Metro Manila.
At a news conference in Quezon City, Orlando Marquez, Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas national president, along with Melencio “Boy” Vargas of the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, called on the Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and Land Transportation Office to shift to green technology, and not to just remove the old passenger jeepneys on the road, particularly in the National Capital Region.
“We have requested a dialogue with Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade,” Vargas told Manila Standard.
After the afternoon conference, Marquez, Vargas and the project proponent—Jacob Maimon, Star 8 Green Technology Corp. president and chief executive officer—proceeded to the office of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Tim Orbos to discuss the proposal.
“We are always being criticized and blamed (for the poor transport service). Let us think out of the box. Let us give the solar transport a chance,” Vargas urged the government.
According to Marquez, the operation of the solar-powered public utility jeepneys would help improve the quality of air and modernize the mass transport sector.
“We want to pilot in polluted areas, such as the National Capital Region, because most of the private cars come from here,” he said.
As far as the Star 8 Green Technology Corp. is concerned, Maimon said the national government and local government units were supporting the project.
“Everyone is accepting us. I don’t see anything why it is not going to work unless something crazy is going to happen,” he told reporters.
“There is already an approval from the MMDA.”
The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide in Iloilo City has even campaigned for the operation of solar-powered vehicles, he said.
The LTFRB said the modernization of the jeepney sector would not happen “overnight” as jeepney drivers and operators staged protest actions against the proposed phaseout of jeepneys 15 years and older.
Old jeepneys would be replaced with new ones.
But the transport group said the program would badly affect about 650,000 drivers and 250,000 operators.
Maimon, however, said he was willing to buy and recycle the old jeepneys into solar-powered ones.
“We would want to recycle old jeepneys. From there, we can build new jeepneys. The new ones will change the old ones. (Then) that would be the end of the (modernization) program,” he added.
“The operators will get some money (from us) to be used for the payment of new jeepneys”
