In a bid to encourage more people to buy electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids, the Department of Energy (DOE) is considering allowing them to use designated bus and bike lanes on major thoroughfares such as EDSA.
This was broached by Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella during the Energy Investment Forum held at Sheraton Manila Hotel last Tuesday, December 13.
“The move for that is coming up with ‘green plates’ – not the usual black and white plates for passenger vehicles but ‘green plates’ for e-vehicles to monitor it,” he said, emphasizing that this is one of the non-fiscal incentives from the government to encourage Filipinos to shift to e-vehicles.
EVs and hybrid models currently use the standard license plate, making them indistinguishable from regular combustion-powered vehicles. Once the green plates are available, Fuentebella says these will allow four-wheeled e-vehicles to use the EDSA bus lane.
Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella says this will encourage further e-vehicle sales and use
Currently exclusive to EDSA Carousel bus units, the EDSA bus lane is a portion of the thoroughfare segregated from normal road traffic. Using the bus lane, a commuter can reach Buendia in Makati from Quezon City’s North Avenue in just 20 minutes.
Similarly, two-wheeled e-vehicles will be permitted to use bicycle lanes that are currently limited to pedal-powered models.
The DOE’s proposal comes as the executive order that temporarily slashes tariff rates on EVs, as well as their parts and components, has been endorsed by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
According to NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, the modified tariffs will apply only to completely built up (CBU) EVs, while hybrid models will not be covered. The new rates will be valid for a period of five years. Only the President’s signature is needed to enact the EO, which follows through on the recent Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) that lapsed into law this year.
Two-wheeled EVs could be allowed to use bike lanes as well
In 2021, a similar scheme to allow EVs on special lanes was put on an 18-month trial basis in Cambridgeshire county, U.K., where bicycles are also accommodated on bus lanes. The move to let EVs use the bus lanes met with criticism from cyclists, who said that this removes their safe space as EVs still pose a threat to the most vulnerable road users.
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