The City Optimized Managed Electric Transport (COMET)
Consistent with its environmental commitment, Eton Centris, a township project of Eton Properties Philippines, Inc. (EPPI), recently announced that it will be the first Command Center Hub for The City Optimized Managed Electric Transport (COMET), a 0% emissions city shuttle which is targeting to replace regular jeepneys and is expected to help in regulating the transportation system in Metro Manila.
In partnership with Global Electric Transportation (GET), which is the distributor of The COMET and Gawad Kalinga (GK), thru PASANG MASDA Nationwide Inc., the Philippines will be the test country for The COMET.
The COMET
The COMET will be manufactured by Pangaea Motors, an American group of experts in electric vehicle technology. They will be setting up a plant for local assembly in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
Running on advanced battery technology (lithium ion cobalt batteries), the COMET will run at a controlled speed of 60km/hr with a range of up to 100kms on a 5 hour full charge.
Pasang Masda, the oldest prominent jeepney association group in Metro Manila has committed to purchasing 10,000 units of the COMET and member drivers have already undergone the required training, which is handled by Gawad Kalinga.
“ETON is a responsible partner of the environment,” says Danilo Antonio, Chief Operating Officer of EPPI. “Owning a sustainable business is something that everyone aspires for, and so, we support this endeavor because we appreciate the structure of the business, and that it will ultimately protect the three verticals that ETON cares about—the People, the Business of the People and the Environment.”
According to Freddie Tinga, President of GET Limited, “There are 55,000 jeepneys on the roads of Metro Manila, and it is found that 85% of pollution in the Metro is caused by poorly maintained vehicles like the jeep. Apart from that, there is this competition amongst the drivers for passengers which leads to unnecessary traffic and road accidents. With the COMET in place, we are proposing a crowd funding approach where all drivers and operators will earn from the pool. This will minimize competition and will encourage the spirit of “bayanihan” amongst the stakeholders.
Pasang Masda is expecting a total of 20,000 units on the road by 2020.
The launch ended with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between Pasang Masda, GET and Gawad Kalinga.