Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Iloilo taxicabs resort to LPG for fuel
By Kathy Villalon Cinco
ILOILO CITY -- Taxicab drivers have resorted to the use of liquefied petroleum Gasoline (LPG) as a solution to the rising cost of gasoline.
In a radio broadcast Monday, GDR Taxi operator Rose Latilla said they started using LPG last April and they have saved on maintenance and the price of the fuel itself.
Supplied by Gas Petronas, the LPG costs P26 per kilogram. One tank contains 40 kilograms, which is equivalent to 60 liters. This is the same amount as gasoline wherein a full tank is at 60 liters, and it can also run for 300 kilometers.
She said their drivers are happy because after using LPG, their profit has reached P1,000 to P1,200 a day. Before, the drivers had a hard time meeting their boundary.
GDR's 36 units are now using LPG, while other taxi operators have 40 units who use the same. Some 40 units are to be installed with a conversion kit from gasoline to LPG units.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Regional Director Proferio Clavel said this is a new alternative being used for taxicabs in Western Visayas.
Manila and Cebu started using liquid petroleum gas as taxi fuel since last year.
Engineer Pab Romero of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said LPG could contribute to global warming and advised that more trees should be planted to combat this. But, he said that in terms of pollution, LPG does not emit particles that cause such.
Propane, which is a content of LPG, has been used as a motor fuel by fleet users, agricultural machinery, and materials handling equipment for over 80 years in other countries.
Most laboratory tests give LPG an emission advantage over gasoline in emitted unburned hydrocarbons.
LPG is mostly made from by-products of oil refining. It's limited in availability and is kept artificially cheap as a result.
A vehicle can use both LPG and gasoline but such will lead the vehicle to gain more weight and lose trunk or cargo space. (Sun.Star Iloilo/Sunnex)
(May 23, 2006 issue)
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