Hybrid buses to ply Makati’s streets

MANILA, Philippines - Hybrid buses will start plying the streets of Makati on Wednesday.

Local bus operator Green Frog Zero Emissions Transport said over the weekend that the buses will ply the M1 route, which runs from Gil Puyat Avenue to Kalayaan Avenue and back.

Philip Apostol, the firm’s founder and managing director, said they hope to prove Filipinos “with environmentally friendly, comfortable, safe and reliable mass transportation.  It is time to move our public transportation to First World standards.”

The route passes through Osmeña Highway, Roces Avenue, Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue, Paseo de Roxas, Edsa and C5 Road. The fare is a flat rate of P15.

Apostol said the company would start with two buses to test the system as well as the commuting public’s acceptance.

By July, Green Frog will bring in the next eight buses – imported from China – to complement the service on the M1 route. By October, 15 buses will be operational on the M1 route,” Apostol said.

The hybrid buses, he said, emit less pollutants compared to a diesel-run bus. They are air conditioned, equipped with six closed-circuit television cameras and a global positioning system device, Apostol added.