Metro taxis now running on LPG

Cook with it, drive with it — and enjoy a cleaner ride.

The same liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used for cooking food is now being used to fuel taxicabs that ply the busy streets of Metro Manila.

Xavierville Transport Service (XTS) has a fleet of 50 cabs operating all over Metro Manila and it is one of the few taxi companies now using LPG as an alternative fuel source.

At a time when diesel and gasoline prices are going through the roof, it is also worth noting that these vehicles for hire use fuel that costs less.

The STAR learned of this after chancing upon a Xavierville cab in Makati City.

The driver said in an apologetic tone that they do not allow passengers to smoke while in the cab because they have an LPG tank on board which is powering the cab’s engine.

Posted conspicuously inside the cab was a sign that read: "LPG-powered vehicle. Please do not smoke."

XTS operations manager Allan Redondo said in an interview that his company was among the first to use LPG as fuel for their fleet for a number of reasons.

Redondo said he has heard that taxi units belonging to cab companies EMP, Freedom and Monique have also scrapped the use of conventional diesel or gasoline in favor of the cheaper and cleaner LPG.

"Our cabs are equipped with conversion gears which vaporize liquid fuel from LPG containers for fuel," he said.

XTS, he said, started installing the conversion kits manufactured and distributed by the Torkita company in August last year and completed the installation of the gadget in all their vehicles in December 2005.

Manila’s cab companies are following a trend in using LPG fuel that began in Japan and in Bangkok, Thailand, where roughly 60 percent of taxicabs were fueled by LPG as of mid-2005.

LPG, Redondo said, is bought from Petron, which is working in partnership with Torkita.

XTS, based in Parañaque City, invested more than P1.3 million in the LPG conversion of its units and expects to recover the amount in two years.

Redondo said the company had to spend P26,000 for the conversion of each taxi unit and had to take out a bank loan to finance the project.

"It’s a long-term investment but it’s worth it," he said citing three main reasons and several advantages brought about by the use of LPG.

"Basically, there are three reasons why we invested in this. First, it’s for our drivers," Redondo said explaining how the use of LPG allows their employees to earn more.

XTS drivers, he said, earn by first meeting the boundary requirement while shouldering high fuel costs because the cost of fuel is not charged to the company’s share of the day’s proceeds.

Redondo said LPG costs only P26 per liter which means that drivers save more than P10 per liter, based on the current prices of unleaded and premium gasoline.

"Obviously, they earn more and are motivated to work more," he said, stressing that their company tries to consider how they can make their drivers happier.

Secondly, he said, using LPG as fuel, "in our own little way, is our contribution to the implementation of the Clean Air Act."

Redondo said the smoke emission rate of their taxis is now at negative levels, which means that their engines are burning "cleaner" fuel, thus reducing harmful smoke emissions.

He also said that using LPG as fuel is XTS’ contribution to the national government’s call for the use of alternative and cheaper fuel sources.

Other alternative fuels promoted by the government are coco-biodiesel, derived from coconuts, and ethanol, which is derived from either sugarcane or corn. Both alternative fuels also burn clean, with minimal smoke emissions.

Redondo said shifting to LPG from ordinary diesel and gasoline also prolongs engine life and extends the time between tune-ups and oil changes — which makes for even more savings in terms of vehicle maintenance.

Besides being cost-efficient, the LPG conversion system installed in every Xavierville taxi unit is also very safe.

Laughing, Redondo said the warning against smoking because the vehicle runs on LPG is actually a bluff, taking advantage of the public’s fear of exploding gas tanks.

"It’s just a precaution, but it’s actually a misconception that an LPG will explode because of cigarette smoking," he said.

He confessed that the public’s fear of LPGs was being used to give their taxi drivers a valid reason to ask their passengers to refrain from smoking.

"There are a lot of safety precautions. There are check valves and the like that actually shut down the entire system in the event of any leak no matter how small," Redondo said.

However, public ordinances have been passed in some cities and towns in Metro Manila banning passengers and drivers of public conveyances like taxis from smoking while in these vehicles.