UPLB set to undergo pilot testing of a bicycle ride-sharing app

University of the Philippines Los Baños campus in Laguna. (File photo from uplb.edu.ph)

MANILA, Philippines — A bicycle ride-sharing app may soon be available for students at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in Laguna.

The development comes as the campus gears to pilot test the transportation system to “revive its bicycle culture.”

In a post on its official website on Sunday, UPLB announced it has partnered with a bike-sharing business owned by its alumni to kickstart the ride-sharing project.

The initiative is potentially the first among all higher education institutions in the country.

“Tipaklong [Tipaklong Sustainable Mobility Corp.] will be providing a fleet of e-bikes and e-scooters, which will be available for rent by the UPLB community through a mobile phone application,” the post read.

“The system will undergo a feasibility study to determine the total number of trips, distance traveled, carbon dioxide emissions avoided, and other relevant data that can help improve the implementation,” it added.

Roberto Cereno, UPLB’s Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs, called the program a “revolutionary step.”

He noted that UPLB, as a national university, must be conscious of its carbon footprint and promote sustainability among its constituents.

“This collaboration is part of the Green Mobility Initiative (GMI), which envisions a green community for UPLB by forging partnerships and developing mechanisms to promote and adopt environment-friendly modes of campus transport,” the post said.

‘A good move’

Some UPLB students lauded the planned implementation of the ride-sharing system, saying it will help them attend classes on time.

“Makakatulong talaga ito sa amin, especially kapag kailangan naming pumunta sa iba’t ibang building to attend our respective classes, given na malayo-layo ang pagitan ng bawat isa,” Grace Fernandez, a Development Communication student told INQUIRER.net.

(It will definitely help us, especially if we need to go to other buildings to attend our respective classes, given that they’re quite far from one another.)

Another Development Communication student, Ken Laoreno, said the project is a good move since it will provide a sustainable solution to a widespread problem among students in the university.

“However, my concern here is the program’s feasibility – if this is accessible to every UPLB student in terms of bicycle fees,” he said in a text message.

Aside from the bicycle ride-sharing app, the university will install more bike racks around the campus.

UPLB has created guidelines for developing bike lanes to bolster the concept of “green mobility.”