Muntinlupa fortifies its electric vehicle initiative

Muntinlupa City has just upped its environmental standards with respect to the use of electric vehicles for mass transport operations. Todate, it already has 14 electric jeepneys plying different routes in the city. And this number is expected to grow.

Muntinlupa City is one of the early movers in the LGU field in the eco-friendly electric vehicle movement. It was one of the very first cities which utilized EJeepneys for mass transport application under the city’s Muntinlupa Care Card (MCC) Program.

The MMC Program is a partnership between The Lingkod Muntinlupa Foundation (LMF) and the Muntinlupa City government. It is project of Mayor Jimmy R. Fresnedi that aims to provide all Muntinlupa City residents easy and convenient access to all programs and services of the City Government. The recipients are given smart cards that enable the organization of data to allow the local government to monitor program availment by members and help improve the delivery of basic services. However, membership to the MCC Program is voluntary. 

In its mass transport program called e-Jeepney Ride for Free (eJRF), LMF offers free EJeepney rides to students and senior citizens who are MCC program members. Of the 14 EJeepneys in its fleet, it will assign two eJRFs exclusively to Ayala Alabang at no cost to Barangay Ayala Alabang. However, in return, Barangay Ayala Alabang will maintain and operate the eJRFs. 

Rommel Juan, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines says that EVAP is glad that Muntinlupa City is giving its Environmental Protection advocacy a greater push. “We hope that their EV fleet continues to grow even more and that other cities will follow suit. They already have the operations template that can be replicated by other LGUs”.