Manila: The city government will showcase its electric jeepney (e-jeep) utilization initiative under the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) during the visit of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Friday. Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez stated that Dizon and his team will assess the city's implementation of the e-jeep program to set a benchmark for other local government units.

According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Benitez expressed that he invited the new Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to witness the city's e-jeeps initiative firsthand. Benitez believes that in collaboration with the national government, the city can expedite the transition to using e-jeepneys.

The City Planning and Development Office conducted a consultation on the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) on Tuesday. This consultation aimed to understand the situation and challenges faced by the transport sector. Benitez emphasized that transportation is integral to development and is a crucial step toward achieving a better environment.

In Bacolod, the Cebu People's Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CPMPC), the owner-operator of the modernized People's Jeep, has acquired 10 e-jeep units from Chinese-Korean e-vehicle company e-Future Motors Philippines. After deploying five units last year, CPMPC received an additional five units in the first week of April at their Bacolod satellite office.

The cooperative stated that acquiring 10 e-jeeps for the Fortune Towne-Central Market loop reaffirms its commitment to sustainable transport. Bacolod-based e-Future Motors emphasized that modernized e-jeepneys provide a sustainable and environment-friendly solution. The company is looking forward to making e-jeeps the preferred choice for PTMP implementation in Bacolod City.

Latest data from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board showed there are now 605 modern e-jeepneys operating on city roads, alongside 1,266 approved consolidated traditional units.