The University of San Carlos is partnering with Global Electric Transport (GET) Philippines for a first-of-its-kind fully electric shuttle service. The contract signing was held on January 30, 2024 at the USC Downtown Campus.
Initially, the shuttle service would only cater to Basic Education students. University administrators, however, decided to include tertiary students as well as faculty members and staff in four of USC’s campuses, namely Downtown, Talamban, North, and South for the electric shuttle service.
Fr. Alfonso Araceli, SVD, campus director of the USC Basic Education Department shared that the University partnered with GET Philippines due to the latter’s important role as a prime mover in electric mass mobility.
“Through a reflective process based on the suggestion of parents and other concerned individuals, USC identified GET Philippines as a perfect partner. Their commitment to a sustainable transport ecosystem impressed us and resonated deeply with our own core values of commitment and social responsibility here at the University,” Fr. Araceli shared.
Meanwhile, Frankie T. Endriga, Chief Operations Officer of GET Philippines, extended his gratitude to the University for trusting and partnering with the company.
“This partnership with the University of San Carlos makes USC the very first university or educational institution in this country to have a full-time, sustainable transport solution for its students, faculty, and staff,” he added.
Under the Agreement, GET Philippines will provide mini buses that can be booked exclusively by Carolinian students, staff, and faculty members.
Carolinians have the option to pay either weekly or monthly to reserve their slots. This will also ensure that they have designated seats throughout the rides.
Each electric bus can accommodate 30 passengers with 20 seating and 10 standing capacity. Designated pick-up and drop-off points have been identified as well as routes bound from Minglanilla, Liloan, and Lapu-Lapu City to different USC campuses and vice versa.
Carolinians will simply download the GETPASS app and register to book their rides. For more details, information drives will be conducted on the following dates:
- February 5 and 14 – Talamban Campus
- February 7 and 16 – Downtown Campus
- February 9 and 19 – North Campus
- February 12 and 21 – South Campus
According to Fr. Araceli, the target date for the regular run to commence is on March 4, 2024.
Aside from transitioning to a fully electric shuttle service, the University of San Carlos also implemented a No Single-Use Plastics policy in line with its commitment to maintaining an environment-friendly campus.