DURING my recent trip to Boracay for the Joint Leadership Training of the Vice Mayors League and Councilors League of Region 3, I noticed the extensive use of electric-powered tricycles or e-trikes in the island. Each one can comfortably carry around 6 passengers. Many of the e-trikes still sport the original green paint but a few have been repainted with flashy colors and designs.
Given the very narrow roads, tricycles are undoubtedly the king of the road in Boracay. But the polluted air emitted by the more than 500 tricycles in the island, not to mention the noise they create, add to the worsening environmental problems of this prime tourist destination. The influx of tourists and construction of more hotels and commercial centers (I saw a new mall being built) carried with it solid waste disposal and water pollution problems.
How was the shift from gasoline-powered motorcycles to electric made possible? According to a write-up from ProgED (Promotion of Green Economic Development Project), the local government of Malay, Aklan which has jurisdiction over Boracay, initiated the program. As early as 2010, Malay’s Mayor John Yap had the idea of turning Boracay into an “e-trike island. A phasing out scheme for aging tricycles was implemented as a policy. Consultations with all stakeholders were conducted after which the e-trike program was institutionalized through local legislation.
The support of the private sector was tapped by the LGU. With the help of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), a local manufacturer of electric tricycles, and a mobile-based microfinance savings bank, the shift to e-trike was made possible. The transition was not easy as they have to address various issues. Foremost is the money needed to purchase a new e-trike unit which reportedly cost about P193,000.00. The partner-bank came up with a flexible financing scheme.
Another major issue is the availability of charging stations and the long charging time which is about 2 to 3 hours for 4 to 5 hours of travel. Long charging time means less opportunity for the drivers to earn. E-trikes use lithium-ion batteries that can be recharged 2,000 times before being replaced, but they are expensive so buying a stand-by battery is not a practical option.
To address this, the e-trike manufacturer set up a ‘swapping’ station where E-trikes drivers can have their batteries replaced with charged units at a cost of P300 per day. This cost is reportedly close to the cost of refueling with gasoline. A gasoline station located near the jetty port sells gasoline at P59 per liter. At present, the availability of charging stations is still a concern but is now being addressed by the local government.
Another good thing about the e-trikes is that their bodies were built with fiberglass, a corrosion resistant material. Due to the corrosive environment in the island and passengers that are wet with sea water from the beach the metal body of the tricycle easily rusts and wears out quickly. The tricycle body undergo annual repairs or sooner when necessary.
I hope other LGUs will also make the shift to e-trikes.