MANILA — Students, faculty, and staff of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in Laguna could soon rent e-bikes and e-scooters for use around the campus, as the school is set to pilot test a ride-sharing system in a bid to "revive its bicycle culture."

The project — which could be the first across all universities and colleges in the Philippines — will be trialed in collaboration with the bike rental enterprise of UPLB graduates called Tipaklong Sustainable Mobility, Corp., according to a news item on the UPLB website.

Through a mobile app, the UPLB community during the trial period could rent e-bikes and e-scooters from the partner firm Tipaklong. The UPLB's security officers will also receive bicycle units to support their safety operations inside the university.

A feasibility study will be conducted to assess the total number of trips, distance traveled, carbon dioxide emissions avoided, as well as other data that can improve the scheme.

Roberto Cereno, UPLB's vice chancellor for community affairs, described the campus' partnership with Tipaklong as "a revolutionary step."

"As a national university, we need to be conscious of our carbon footprint and proactively engage our constituents with our efforts to be steadfast stewards of our environment. One way of looking at it is by focusing on our transport system," Cereno was quoted as saying.

The ride-sharing project is part of the Green Mobility Initiative "which envisions a green community for UPLB by forging partnerships and developing mechanisms to promote and adopt environment-friendly modes of campus transport."

More bike racks meanwhile are being put up in strategic locations around the campus to encourage the UPLB community to embrace "green and active transport."

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