Who doesn’t want to do their part to help the environment? Even if it is just by changing one thing, like the chosen method of transport for one’s daily commute to work. By regularly riding an electric trike, one will help save on gasoline consumption and associated carbon emission related to pollution. Regular use of an electric trike will help reduce one’s overall carbon footprint.

To advance its efforts on eco-friendly transportation, the Quezon City local government partners with Meralco to produce and install three charging stations for electronic tricycles or e-trikes.

Last year, Mayor Joy Belmonte started distributing several units of e-trikes donated by the Department of Energy to the local government to different barangays including Batasan Hills, Payatas, and Sacred Heart, among others and introduced new modes of transportation that are sustainable and environment friendly. The city also provided ten e-trikes to the beneficiaries of Bgy. Bagong Silangan, District 2.

“These e-trikes complement our efforts to become a green city, which is one of our 14-point agenda. Through these, our e-trike drivers ferry our citizens while contributing to our environmental plans and goals,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

The three charging stations are located in Batasan Hills TODA Terminal, Barangay Payatas Motorpool, and at the Amoranto Sports Complex. These locations were chosen strategically. since most of the e-trikes have been distributed to the tricycle associations who are operating nearby.

Meralco constructed and installed the smart charging stations which include coin-operated charging pods for generating revenue and solar panels with net-metering service. Each charging station will have four (4) charging pods that can simultaneously accommodate eight (8) eTrikes and will also have 2kW solar panels.

The e-trikes, which run on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and an electric motor, are anticipated to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 260,0000 tons. Under a business as usual scenario, the Philippines’ carbon dioxide emissions would nearly quadruple in less than 25 years. In addition to its climate benefits, the e-trikes will reduce air pollution and contribute to air quality improvement. A study found that gasoline-fuelled tricycles produce over two-thirds of the air pollution generated by the transport sector in the Philippines. “We look forward to the time where almost all our tricycles have joined our crusade towards a sustainable tomorrow,” Belmonte added.