BORACAY- The local government of Malay focuses on strengthening the electric tricycle (e-trike) program for Boracay Island in the new normal.
Sangguniang Bayan member Dante Pagsuguiron said LGU Malay will fine-tune the government program to help e-trike operators, drivers and suppliers hit hard by lockdown restrictions due to coronavirus pandemic.
The typical e-trike drivers are charged as high as P1,300 boundary for daytime operations by e-trike suppliers.
“Operators and drivers have complaints. We must have a win-win solution, even if it is the business of suppliers, our e-trike operators and drivers must also survive.” the councilor added.
Pagsuguiron said the LGU Malay also wants to look into the boundary payments system, battery leasing services, financing scheme, and charging of batteries by e-trike suppliers.
E-trike suppliers are mandated in the new municipal ordinance regulating the operations of e-trikes to establish at least two charging stations on the island.
Out of 535 tricycle franchises, there were 449 franchises converted for the e-trike program, according to Cesar Oczon, head of the Malay Transportation Office.
About 77 qualified applicants for e-trike conversion are in process, while six operators will not switch their gasoline-powered tricycles into e-trikes.
With the phase-out of tricycles in October 2020, residents and tourists are dependent on e-trikes plying the routes in the barangays of Yapak, Balabag, and Manocmanoc.
Currently, around 250 e-trikes, or 56 percent are operational on the island before the province shifted into ‘new normal.
The e-trike program was introduced way back in 2012 to upgrade the public transport in Boracay Island and to help reduce air pollution coming from tricycles./PN
