MANILA (UPDATE) - Fifty electric buses will be deployed in the City of Manila, which will ferry commuters for free for the first three months, proponents of the project said on Wednesday.

The electric vehicles, dubbed as BEST or Business for Environmentally Sustainable Transformation, will have routes from Manila to Pasay City and to Quezon City.

Each unit can safely accommodate 15 passengers following physical distancing restrictions, but can normally accommodate 30 passengers.

The first batch of BEST buses will be deployed to routes that will transport Manila’s essential workers from home to work, the project proponents said.

Electric vehicle firm GET Philippines, the Manila City LGU, and the Aboitiz Group partnered for the project.

GET Philippines will oversee the electric buses’ daily operations and route management through its fleet management systems, while the Manila LGU will be in charge of electricity, driver salaries, and route planning, among others.

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