A new public transportation system is set to roll in New Clark City (NCC).
Dubbed as Primary Rapid Transit, it will run using the Smart Mobility Operation Cloud (SMOC).
Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and Chief Executive Officer Aileen Zosa said SMOC will be complemented by more energy-efficient, low-carbon, and innovative vehicles such as electric vehicles, and electric bikes, as well as smart poles and drones for real-time data collection and dissemination.
This is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between BCDA and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan.
It was signed by Zosa and NEDO Executive Director Shuji Yumitori, and was witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Under the MOU, a three-year demonstration project on smart mobility solutions will be implemented in NCC and its environs.
The project, which comes at zero cost on the part of the Philippine government, will be executed and financed by NEDO and Zenmov Inc.
Zosa stressed that the partnership pushes for an environment-friendly and high technology transportation system in the region.
“In keeping with our goal for the New Clark City to become a green, sustainable and inclusive city, we have partnered with Japan’s NEDO and Zenmov to help BCDA in developing advanced and innovative solutions to improve transportation services and connectivity in this region. We can definitely learn a lot from this sharing of technologies and expertise that our Japanese partners have relating to the advancement of their transportation sector,” she said.
The official also cited other solutions to address issues faced by the country’s transportation system.
“BCDA can also develop solutions to better optimize energy use, minimize pollution and lower carbon footprint, and manage congestion and other traffic-related issues,” Zosa added.
A government organization under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Japan, NEDO is a national research and development agency that creates innovation by promoting technological development necessary for realization of a sustainable society.
Zenmov Inc., on the other hand, is a Japan-based information technology solutions provider specializing in the transportation sector.