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BAGUIO CITY: The increasing number of taxicabs in Baguio using
liquefied petroleum gas or autogas is helping in the clean air
campaign of the government, said Department of Transportation and
Communications director Federico Mandapat Jr.
Mandapat reported last week that around 70 taxi
units in the city are already using autogas even as he expects that
more taxi operators will decide to convert their units from using
gasoline to autogas.
To convince taxi operators to use autogas,
Mandapat said that taxi units using autogas would be given a 12-year
franchise from the regular 10-year-franchise period.
It was not immediately known when the first
autogas conversion in the city was but some taxi owners are
increasingly keen in converting their units from using gasoline to
autogas in wake of the surge of fuel price.
A taxi using autogas can save almost 30 percent
in fuel cost and repair and that it can save fuel consumption in
case it burns almost 32 liters a day.
Mandapat said that autogas is more
environment-friendly than normal gasoline-fed vehicles because the
burning of the fuel mix is more efficient, adding that it helps in
reducing the volume of air pollutants especially within the central
business district.
Reports have it that around 20,000 taxi units in
the National Capital Region, Cebu and Davao have converted to
autogas while around 10 million vehicles worldwide are running on
autogas.
Advocacy on use of autogas was brought to the
fore just as the concerned agencies continuously advocate for the
sale of coco methyl ester or coco-biodiesel in gasoline stations in
Baguio.
No less than Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia, chair
of the city council committee on health and environment, has said
the sell of coco methyl esters saying it is one of the most logical
acts in line with the bid to improve the air quality in this
mountain resort city.
The Department of Energy is promoting the use of
indigenous alternative fuels to reduce the country’s dependence on
imported oil.
-- Harley F. Palangchao
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