YuneOhThe City of Muntinlupa is leading the way in introducing modern, cashless and green public transport transportation with the launch of the e-Jeepney and MCC Plus, the expanded Muntinlupa Care Card (MCC), the country’s most advanced citizen card ID program. A partnership of the City Government and the Lingkod Muntinlupa Foundation, a non-stock non-profit organization, the e-Jeepneys were created to help address the growing need for environment-friendly transport solution in the city.
The e-jeeps, which comes ahead of the planned public transport modernization program of the Department of Transportation, plies the city’s major thoroughfares and the business districts in Alabang.
Of the 34 units operating, 20 are owned and operated by private corporations which collect fare, while 14 are owned by the city government and operated by LMF which offers free rides to students, persons with disability and senior citizens who are MCC card holders.
According to Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, the city takes pride in the transport system and the MCC Plus, the country’s most advanced local government unit (LGU) card which combines an ordinary ID with the technology of a PayMaya prepaid card.
He said the city government and the Foundation have invested heavily in infrastructure, human resource, and technology for the program and has invested about P 13 million since 2015 for the purchase, maintenance and operations of the e-Jeepneys.
There system has a centralized station with trained drivers and mechanics in charge of maintenance and experienced fleet managers for orderly deployment. The units are powered by deep cycle lead acid battery and uses electric motor instead of internal combustion engine which eliminates smoke emission and noise pollution.
The program is financed by the membership and renewal fees for the MCC Plus. Locals can avail of free rides to e-jeepneys by tapping their MCC Plus cards into the sensors inside the electronic vehicles.
Because of this green technology, Muntinlupa was awarded by the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines in 2016 as the country’s “Electric Jeepney Capital” for having the most number of e-jeepneys, which help reduce air and noise pollution.
The City Government is also recipient of the ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification which arrests to the efficient delivery of services to the public.
Korea’s Global Electric Vehicle Association Network and Japan’s PUES-EV and Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd. observed the e-Jeepney operations to study the best practices in e-vehicles for public transportation in the Philippines.
In photo are (left to right) PayMaya enterprise manager Cris Tagle, PayMaya head of domestic services Lawrence Ferrer, PayMaya Enterprise Manager Tisha Quinitio, Muntinlupa councilor Ivee Arciaga-Tadefa, Lingkod Muntinlupa Foundation program director Grace Salvador, Mayor Jimmy Fresnedi, PayMaya chief operating officer and managing director Paolo Azzola.
Words and photo by Bernard Supetran
