Environmentalist: Free rides on green vehicle
Cebuanos have a chance to ride for free on the first solar-, wind- and pedal-powered vehicle in the country, which will ply Osmeña Boulevard today.
The entire boulevard will be closed for the day to all vehicles from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. except for this invention.
The non-gasoline vehicle, invented by a Cebuano, will have its debut as part of the “Road Revolution” in Cebu City, which is part of the Independence Day celebration.
Environmentalist lawyer Antonio Oposa said this was part of a national declaration of “Freedom from Oil and Air Pollution.”
“To see is to believe. The best teacher is example and experience. If people experience this (vehicle), they would realize that sustainable living is possible,” Oposa said.
Four areas will be designated as loading and unloading areas.
The 18-foot vehicle can carry up to 10 passengers and has a capacity of one horsepower.
It runs at a slow speed of up to 20 kilometers per hour.
Brian Yuson of the St. James Academy in Compsotela town said he was tapped by Oposa to create the vehicle last April.
It was originally designed as a train, he said. But since there are no more railroads in Cebu City, Yuson said he customized the vehicle and attached four wheels to make it run without rails.
He said the most challenging part was creating the vehicle’s charging system.
The vehicle has solar panels in the front and a propeller at the back.
Pedals in a bicycle-like setup were installed in the back attached to six 24-plate batteries.
The batteries can store energy to keep the vehicle running for 10 hours.
Oposa said that most of the materials used in the vehicle were recycled. The front came from a golf cart. The body was fashioned from metal from a junk shop.
Today’s car-free boulevard in the heart of Cebu City will be the venue of a freedom walk, biking and aerobics exercises.
Oposa said he and other environmentalists would turn over more than 10,000 signatures supporting a proposed ordinance to reconstruct city roads with sidewalks, bike lanes, gardens and collective transportation.
