MANILA - The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is looking into the possibility of mandating public transportation to shift to electric vehicles (EVs) in an effort to reduce the country's carbon footprint and improve air quality.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista bared the plan during the Makati Business Club forum, stating that the DOTr is working on a roadmap to transition public transportation to EVs.

"We're also asking the operators, instead of operating the Euro 5 or Euro 6 engines, they can go full electric. I think this is very important. We want a green transport system. That's one of the priorities that we are adopting." Bautista said.

Under the PUV Modernization Program, public transport operators are not obliged to shift to electric vehicles. They are only "encouraged" to change to Euro 5 or 6 engines, which emit less air pollution than what is widely used.

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The DOTr also considers incentives for transport operators shifting to EVs, such as tax breaks and low-interest loans. However, the department has yet to craft the guidelines.

"Sa ngayon ay mas prayoridad ng DOTR na magconsolidate ang mga transport operators at gumawa ng mga kooperatiba, at next phase na lamang ang pagpapalit ng mga unit basta’t tumatakbo pa nang maayos ang mga traditional jeepney," Bautista said.

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The Department of Transportation gave the operators until December 31, 2023, to form a group for easier bank loan approval. As of the latest, around 60 percent of operators in the country have consolidated.

The DOTr's plan to mandate public transportation to shift to EVs is in line with the government's goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2030 and to increase the number of electric vehicles to 50 percent by 2040.

The Philippines is one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, with rising sea levels and extreme weather events threatening the country's coastal communities. The shift to EVs will significantly reduce the country's carbon footprint and improve air quality, particularly in urban areas where air pollution is a significant health concern.

The DOTr has yet to release a timeline for implementing the plan, but Bautista assured the public that the agency is working on it.