$500M e-tricycle project to start this year

2:57 am | Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

The Asian Development Bank is set to start implementing this year the $500-million electric tricycle project, which will see the rollout of as many as 100,000 units within the next four years.

Of the funding, $300 million will come from the ADB, $100 million from the Philippine government, and another $100 million from the Clean Technology Fund.

Sohail Hasnie, principal energy specialist at the ADB, told reporters that the prequalification of suppliers and/or manufacturers for the project was expected to start next month.

Before the end of this year, Hasnie said he was expecting at least 100 of these e-trikes to start plying Philippine roads.

The main plan was to initially roll out 20,000 units on key islands, such as Boracay and Puerto Princesa, and in some parts of Metro Manila. After this, a study will be conducted to determine whether the use of e-trikes works according to the project objectives and yields the benefits targeted by the ADB and the Philippine government.

Only after the initial batch is proven successful will the ADB proceed with the rollout of the remaining 80,000 units, he added.

According to Hasnie, the ADB is also looking into putting up five pilot charging stations to ensure the viability and sustainability of the e-trikes project. The target, he added, was to make sure that the cost of power used by the e-trikes would be much lower than the cost of fuel used by regular tricycles.

At present, more than 3.5 million motorized tricycles are operating in the country, producing more than 10 million tons of carbon dioxide and using nearly $5 billion worth of imported fuel yearly.

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Tags: Asian development bank , e-trikes , electric tricycles , Philippines , Road Transport

PinoyDude

I support the opinions posted here that the government should control public transportation. This is how other countries maintain their mass transit system. The following should be implemented by the government for this program to be successful.

1. Educate the drivers of these e-trikes or e-jeepneys to follow traffic rules (speed limit, traffic signs, traffic lights and so on). They should likewise be oriented about practicing road courtesy towards pedestrians and other motorists. This is very much needed in the Philippines.

2. Designate jeepney or trike stops in common areas like major street corners. Hindi pwede yung tigil lang kung saan-saan lang! This is the reason why our roads and vehicular traffic is in such disarray!

3. Plan transportation routes. Gawing di numero ang route ng mga jeepney or e-trikes. Mag-lagay din ng jeepney or trike stops (di numero din) para alam ng mga commuter kung saan dapat maghintay. There should be a line number for each route. People should be aware of how to do transfers from one line to another.

4. If possible put up decent waiting sheds complete with a map of where the jeepneys or trikes go. May bubong sana hangga’t maaari para di naman mabasa at mainitan ang mga commuters.

5. The government can put small billboards on the waiting stations and even transit ads on the jeepneys. Moving advertisments can generate income too.

Haaay ang sarap mangarap. I hope somebody in government can read this!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZWTTKJTI57YO7TZBJC66GA2OLU dennis

That e-trycicle for me is two thumbs up! Like e-jeepney or e-busses! It´s Eco-firendly and very futuristic ang dating.Kaya nga lang,para sa ikauunlad ng bansa eh AYUSIN NA ANG MGA DRAINAGE NATIN! That $500M e-trycicle ay baka pulutin sa “e-mburnal” nyan! Besides,kailangan talaga natin na i-upgrade ang traffic rules and regulation according to international standards.What we,filipinos need is to respect ROAD COURTESY.Fill up every roads of road signs.Ang disiplina ng pilipino ay magsisimula sa pagsunod ng nararapat sa sundin para sa ika-uunlad ng ating bayan.
http://profile.yahoo.com/5LORVIOEDC77D5HTPFRELF5ZLY gerryville

I hope this project will pursue, good in the environment and good income for the drivers, sa lahat ng mga driver ng tricycle, gaganda na kita nyo sana gumanda din ugali nyo sa kalsada at tama ang singil nyo sa pasahero
Nic Legaspi

I do hope the a certain portion of the $500 budget is aimed at educating our tricycle drivers about traffic rules since most seem to have no knowledge of it.
Kibitzer100

ADB by coursing the project through the local governments will politicize this project.
I hope Sohail Hasnie and his team realizes that this is the wrong approach.
ADB should instead lend to qualified tricycle operators direct.

As a first and immediate step, LTO Must make it easy to register etrikes
Because at present it is almost impossible to register locally built etrikes.
This is the reason why etrikes have not really taken off.
Bonica chim

YES ITS COREECT- 500 %– SIMILAR TO HONGKONG AND SINGAPORE- buses are
run by government- and its time management- service deliveryare very
efficient too- very immaculately clean spic and span public busesi its
time that Roxas Transportation Secretary–consider this projects
while he is in power–
serve_by_example

time to buy meralco stocks

$500M e-tricycle project to start this year

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