The municipality of San Vicente recently received 50 units electric tricycles (e-trikes) worth P22 million from the Department of Energy (DOE).
The e-trikes are aimed at reducing San Vicente’s dependence on fossil fuel to help conserve the environment, municipal administrator James Paul Inawasan said.
Inawasan in a statement said the municipality will rent out the e-trikes to partner drivers or operators under a rent-to-own scheme.
The full ownership of the units will be transferred to the partner driver after the payment of a specified sum for an identified period under the e-trike deployment program, he said.
He added that the proceeds of the rent will be used to purchase additional units so that other drivers can also avail of the project.
Inawasan also said that the municipal government is committed to providing charging stations in strategic locations, sufficient to accommodate all existing e-trike units and to provide facilities and maintenance services.
He also said that the e-trike project is a step towards the statement “Market Transformation through Introduction of Energy-Efficient Electric Vehicles Project” of the DOE.
The e-trike project will also help to promote energy efficiency and clean technologies in the transport sector and to reduce the annual petroleum consumption and to minimize carbon dioxide (CO2) emission.
“For the LGU, this is not just a simple turnover of e-trikes to our partner drivers and operators, but a very significant event to the entire municipality, this ceremony actually signals our full shift to sustainable transportation in line with our 30-year master plan, being the country’s’ pilot Ecotown, and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals Framework of the International community,” Inawasan said.
The turn-over ceremony was held on April 30, 2019, at the Resource Management Center, Sitio Macatumbalen, Barangay Poblacion, San Vicente.
During the event, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and Mayor Carmela Alvarez signed a Deed of Donation for the 50 E-trike units to the municipality in-line with the LGU’s vision to be an emerging tourism hub, a model in sustainable, responsible and inclusive destination for all.
In a message by Cusi, that was read by Engr. Lourdes Maria Capricho, head of the Alternative Fuels and Energy Technology Division, said the effort of the LGU through series of technical consultations with both DOE and San Vicente e-trike teams to comply with the documentary requirements of the project and the submission of the E-trike Sustainable Deployment Plan (ESDP) is very evident of the passion to help and be able to successfully deploy these e-trikes, this next generation mode of transportation to the people of San Vicente.
Engr. Gilda Garibay of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) also announced that the DOE has approved the application of San Vicente to be the second beneficiary of the P22 million e-trikes program.
The first town that received e-trikes from the DOE program was Brooke’s Point in February this year.
“Idi-deliver na ang e-trikes ng San Vicente. Maganda ‘yon kasi door-to-door delivery ‘yon [at] walang gagastusin [ang munisipyo]. Usually n’yan ay two batches ang delivery,” Garibay said.
BEMAC Electric Transportation, Inc., the supplier of the units, and the DOE will also conduct free training on the maintenance of units to drivers and technicians.
Aside from low-maintenance, Garibay said the e-trikes will help to lessen pollution.
“Definitely less na ang pollution niya tapos mas less ang gastos niya kung ikukumpara sa mga ordinaryong tricycle na gumagamit ng gasoline. Ang kasunduan [naman] doon ay binigay ng libre sa kanila [munisipyo], dapat ay maparami nila,” she said.
The provincial government selected the two municipalities as the beneficiary of the e-trikes project of the DOE.
Brooke’s Point was chosen as the pilot area because of its strong environmental advocacy.
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