BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Albee Benitez announced that Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon will visit here on Friday, April 25, to evaluate the city’s electric jeepney (e-jeep) program under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
“It’s like a benchmark in our transport modernization efforts,” Benitez said.
THE Bacolod City government will showcase its electric-jeepney initiatives to officials of the Department of Transportation visiting the city on Friday, April 25. (Photo via Albee Benitez/FB)
Ten e-jeepneys are operating through a partnership between the Cebu People’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CPMPC) and e-Future Motors Philippines, affiliated with China-based Jiangsu Fengchuen New Energy Power Technology Co. Ltd.
Each e-jeep costs P2.4 million and can seat 21 passengers. CPMPC is awaiting financing to acquire more units.
According to Benitez, the supplier is capable of delivering up to 900 units, pending necessary requirements and availability.
The partnership took about two years to materialize. In July last year, the city launched its e-jeepneys. These began servicing routes in October, with charging stations set up at the Bacolod City Government Center and Ayala Malls Capitol Central, and more stations planned.
Friday’s meeting with Dizon will also cover the city’s proposed “green routes” for e-jeepneys, promoting sustainability and environmental protection, according to Benitez.
Benitez emphasized that this city has been accommodating to help jeepney drivers transition smoothly, including assisting them with requirements from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
“We understand their livelihood is at stake. That’s why we aim for a win-win: modernized, eco-conscious transport that also supports the drivers’ income,” he said.
The city also aims to fast-track the shift to electric vehicles in collaboration with the national government.
Benitez admitted Bacolod still has a long way to go in the modernization journey.
To further these efforts, the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) hosted a Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) consultation at L’ Fisher Hotel here in Tuesday, April 22, to gather feedback from stakeholders. The LPTRP was institutionalized through City Ordinance No. 966 in 2021.
The consultation included LTFRB-6 (Western Visayas) Regional Director Richard Osmeña and transport leaders Lilian Sembrano and Rudy Catedral.
Councilor Al Espino, chair of the city council Transportation Committee, noted that 16 percent of this city’s public transport remains unconsolidated.
Under the modernization program, traditional jeepney operators must consolidate into cooperatives or corporations or risk losing their franchises.
Benitez said consultations like this are key to identifying and solving transport-related challenges. “Transportation is essential to a city’s development,” he added.
As of now, Bacolod has 605 modern PUV units and 1,266 consolidated traditional units, based on LTFRB data.