'Green' jeepneys start plying in the city

MANILA - Public transportation in Makati City started going green as electric jeepneys (e-jeeps) started plying their routes in the city's central business district. Radio dzBB's Denver Trinidad reported Tuesday that Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay led officials in taking an inaugural ride aboard the e-jeeps, alongside Land Transportation Office (LTO) head Alberto Suansing and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri. The first locally made batch of electric jeepneys will offer free rides to the public in their first week of operation. The jeeps will mainly service office employees in both Legazpi and Salcedo Villages in Makati. Binay said the two new e-jeeps were manufactured by the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (MVPMAP). The first four units were made in China, he said. The official said the e-jeeps got permission from the LTO to ply commercial routes last month, a year after they were first presented to the public in July 2007. Binay said the e-jeeps from MVPMAP will augment the two e-jeep units on a test-run in Barangay Bel-Air. If viable, Binay said Makati will consider fielding 50 e-jeeps in the city's streets. The city government and private sector partners GRIPP and Greenpeace are also discussing ways to encourage jeepney drivers and operators to switch from regular jeepneys to e-jeepneys, saying loans and financial assistance packages are being considered to promote the technology. - GMANews.TV