If local government units and the Metro Manila Development Authority are not agreeable to having e-bikes, e-trikes and e-scooters plying the main roads (for supposedly causing accidents and because they are unregistered, so it is obviously the negligence of land transport authorities) then it must allow these units to ply within vast campuses like the University of the Philippines (in all parts of the country), Ateneo and others.
This way, students don’t have to tire themselves needlessly walking from one building to another just to meet their class schedules.
Actually, the UP Los Baños campus is now designing a ride-sharing app for this to be available to UPLB Laguna students.
The UPLB website on February 19 said students, faculty and staff of UPLB in Laguna would soon rent e-bukes and e-scooters for use around the campus as it is set to pilot test a ride-sharing system to revive its bicycle culture.
The project– the first of its kind across all universities and colleges in the Philippines– will be tested in collaboration with the bike rental enterprise of UPLB graduates called Tipaklong Sustainable Mobility Corp., said the news item on the website.
Through a mobile app, the UPLB community during the trial period could rent e-bikes and e-scooters from the partner firm Tipaklong. The UPLB's security officers will also receive bicycle units to support their safety operations inside the university.
A feasibility study will be conducted to assess the total number of trips, distance traveled, carbon dioxide emissions avoided, as well as other data that can improve the scheme.
Roberto Cereno, UPLB's vice chancellor for community affairs, described the campus' partnership with Tipaklong as "a revolutionary step," the website story said.
"As a national university, we need to be conscious of our carbon footprint and proactively engage our constituents with our efforts to be steadfast stewards of our environment. One way of looking at it is by focusing on our transport system," Cereno said.
The ride-sharing project is part of the Green Mobility Initiative "which envisions a green community for UPLB by forging partnerships and developing mechanisms to promote and adopt environment-friendly modes of campus transport."
More bike racks will be erected in strategic locations around the campus to encourage the UPLB community to embrace "green and active transport."
In a post on its official website on Sunday, UPLB announced it has partnered with a bike-sharing business owned by its alumni to kickstart the ride-sharing project.
‘A good move’
Some UPLB students lauded the planned implementation of the ride-sharing system, saying it will help them attend classes on time.
“Makakatulong talaga ito sa amin, especially kapag kailangan naming pumunta sa iba’t ibang building to attend our respective classes, given na malayo-layo ang pagitan ng bawat isa,”Development Communication student Grace Fernandez, told the Inquirer.
It will definitely help us, especially if we need to go to other buildings to attend our respective classes, given that they’re quite far from one another.
Ken Laureno, another DevCom student said the project is a good move since it will provide a sustainable solution to a widespread problem among students in the university.
But she is concerned if the e-bikes and e-scooters will be accessible to every UPLB student in terms of bicycle fees.
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