Surigao City (15 June) -- With the growing concern over noise and air pollution, City Mayor Alfonso Casurra presented recently the eco-friendly electric tricycle or Etrike to the Surigaonons in time for the celebration of the 112th Independence Day here.

Speaking before hundreds of attendees at the City Hall grounds, Casurra said that Surigao is the very first city in the country to use this alternative mode of environment-friendly, economical and sustainable transport, the battery-operated Etrike.

"It runs 80 kms. in just one (1) charge, so it's very cheap," said Casurra.

Casurra said that the Etrike can accomodate 8 people, more than the usual capacity of the regular motorized tricycle.

He also said that this new technology was recently turned over by the British embassy in Manila to the city government of Surigao City as part of a project by the Islas Ecology Development Advocacy (ISDA) Foundation to push for an alternative mode of public transport that is not only eco-friendly but also economically viable. British embassy representative and Climate Change Attaché Angela Ibay personally handed over the keys of the Etrike to the Mayor.

It was learned that an ordinary tricycle driver or operator can avail of the Etrike thru an affordable micro-financing in one of the local banks in the city.

The said Etrike has already been used as one of the public transport systems of the city government. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)