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WITH oil
prices rising on a regular basis, it’s about time that
the government did something to lessen our dependence on
imported black gold.
Take a
look at all the public-utility transport vehicles plying
Edsa. Most of them still rely on gas and diesel, unlike
in most parts of the world where alternative fuels such
as hydrogen, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) are used in public transport.
Although
there are more than 20,000 taxi units that have been
converted to LPG, other taxi operators should be ordered
to convert their units.
The
government is urging bus companies to convert to CNG but
reports reaching us have it that there is only one bus
line plying Edsa that uses CNG. The government should
mandate these bus companies to convert to CNG in order
to help lessen the country’s dependence on foreign oil.
Dilapidated buses, too, are potential “oil-guzzlers.”
Why they are still there and why no one orders them off
the roads is a big mystery. Everyone knows that having
too many buses on Edsa is one of the major causes of
traffic. But why are there many colorum buses still
plying Edsa?
If the
government can destroy expensive but illegally imported
cars, isn’t it about time that they impounded colorum
and dilapidated buses? Those that are beyond repair
should be destroyed and those that are still roadworthy
should be given to charitable institutions.
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IT’S
good to know that there are car manufacturers that
really care about the significance of saving fuel.
One of
them is Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI), which
organized the recent Honda Challenge Cup that “aims to
demonstrate how a fuel-efficient driving style can make
a big difference.” Copresented by Petron Xtra Unleaded
and partnered by Motolite, Pagcor, the Department of
Energy, Jam 88.3 and yehey.com, the event was launched
on April 23, while the actual run was held on April 25
from Makati to Clark in Pampanga and was participated in
by members of the media onboard 14 different Honda cars.
I have
to give way to the short presentation of HCPI vice
president for marketing Arnel Doria, who I am quoting
almost en toto because of his important and timely
information:
“Shortage on fuel supply and increase in CO2 emissions
pose a grave threat to energy security, air quality and
global climate. Rapid depletion of fuel resources and
the occurrence of global warming are results of
mankind’s activities. Considering the magnitude of the
repercussions of these issues, any form of savings and
corrective measures are highly essential.
“In the
local scene, the transport sector consumes the bulk of
the country’s fuel supply. Records show that the volume
of motor vehicles on our roads continues to grow each
year. In 2007 over 5.5 million units were registered at
the Land Transportation Office. That number consists of
new and renewal registration of different types of motor
vehicles including sedans, trucks and buses, among
others. Thirty percent of registered vehicles are from
NCR. In Metro Manila, there are approximately 333
vehicles per kilometer of road. It is set to increase to
375 vehicles per km by 2011. This alarming vehicle
density of the transport sector poses a higher risk of
accidents and heavy traffic congestion that affects fuel
consumption.
“Increase in the number of motor vehicles on our roads
naturally increases demand for fuel. Being one of the
key industry players, Honda takes serious corporate
responsibility in fostering improvement in fuel economy
and reduction of harmful emissions. Burning less fuel
not only means monetary savings, but also reduces
deposit of harmful emission into the environment. Thus,
takes much-needed proactive measures in advocating the
significance of fuel economy.
“Several
techniques can be applied in optimizing fuel mileage,
but the most essential of all trickles down to three
main aspects—vehicle, fuel and driver. We at Honda are
committed to developing products and technologies that
have minimal effect on the environment. Another
significant factor in going the extra mile is the use of
high-grade fuel that is especially formulated to aid
better combustion efficiency.
“Lastly,
the key to a fuel-efficient driving is in the hands of
the driver—having full control over the machine. One has
to have the proper driving skills and understanding of
the vehicle. Simply tweaking one’s driving habits goes a
long way in extending fuel mileage and in lessening
deposit of harmful pollutants. Just imagine if 100,000
motor vehicles users will save one liter of gasoline a
day for 20 days, our country will already be saving over
12,500 barrels of oil a month. That’s how significant a
mere liter savings of gasoline a day is.” |
