Electric vehicles will soon ply in some of the streets of Mandaue City, following the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the city government and the Global Electric Transport (GET) Philippines Inc. on November 8.
According to the MOA, GET will deploy at least 10 Community Optimized Managed Electric Transport (COMET) buses in Mandaue while the city will provide a charging station, parking areas, and bus stops.
(Photo: GET)
The transport company will also provide the necessary maintenance and cleaning of the vehicles, and training for hired drivers among others.
Hyll Retuya, head of the legal and investigative division of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue, said that they were still finalizing the routes of the bus. But based on the initial plan, the bus will travel from Mandaue City to Lapu-Lapu City and Liloan.
These will cater to senior citizens, persons with disability, city hall employees, and other sectoral groups for free. They will be given riding passes by the city government.
COMET buses that have a capacity of 30 passengers are powered by electricity and not by gasoline as used by conventional vehicles. It is air-conditioned, has a CCTV camera, internet, and a mobile application.
In addition to the 10 buses that will be deployed, the city also plans to buy one unit.
“One unit costs around P4 million,” said Retuya.
He mentioned that the buses will probably start operating on the city’s roads in December because the agreement still needs ratification by the city council. Additionally, they have to install the charging station and inspect the parking spaces.
The city aims to integrate electric buses into its public transport networks to help reduce air pollution.
“With the introduction of these buses, we are not only addressing our transport needs but also our environmental responsibilities, we are reducing carbon footprint and contributing to a cleaner, greener future for the city,” said Mayor Jonas Cortes.
Mandaue City govertment signed a MOA with GET. (Photo: GET)
