Bacolod City is currently testing a new environmentally friendly transportation route with an electric jeepney (e-jeep) that runs from the Bacolod City Government Center to Ayala Malls Capitol Central, near the Negros Occidental capitol. The trial, which offers free rides, is scheduled to continue until February 16, operating daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez expressed optimism about the project, suggesting that Bacolod could be the first city in the Philippines to fully adopt green routes for public transport, subject to approval from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board. He emphasized the importance of safety measures in the initiative.
This is not the first time Bacolod has experimented with green routes; a previous dry run was conducted in May last year, covering areas in Barangay Vista Alegre and Barangay Cabug. The current trial is part of a broader effort to assess the feasibility of integrating these routes into the city’s Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) under the Public Transport Modernization Program.
The e-jeeps used in the trial are supplied by e-Future Motors Philippines, a Chinese-Korean electric vehicle company. Robert Cerrada, the company’s chief operating officer, highlighted the cost-saving and environmental benefits of using e-jeeps. Since October last year, the Cebu People’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative has been successfully operating similar e-jeeps on the Fortune Towne-Central Market loop.