The GET City Optimized Managed Electric Transport (COMET) is an

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

minibus A minibus, microbus, minicoach, or commuter (in Zimbabwe) is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, ...

developed by American firm Pangea Motors and manufactured and distributed by Global Electric Transport.

Design

Often characterized as an electric jeepney (e-jeep) in the Philippines, the City Optimized Managed Electric Transport (COMET) was designed specifically to fulfill the public transportation needs of

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...

, as a potential replacement for traditional open-air

jeepneys Jeepneys (), sometimes called jeeps (), are minibus-like public utility vehicles, serving as the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their crowded seating and kitsch decorations, which have become ...

, which are also noted as a major contributor to air pollution in the metropolis. The COMET was designed by United States-based Pangea Motors and is distributed and manufactured by Global Electric Transport (GET). A team from the United States went to the Philippines as part of the design process for the COMET minibus. Unlike traditional jeepneys, the COMET has the capability to accommodate standing passengers and its doors are positioned on the sides instead in the back. It is also powered by lithium-ion batteries instead of diesel. GET would also allow COMET owners to customized the exterior of the vehicles similar to the

kitschy Kitsch ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as naïve imitation, overly-eccentric, gratuitous, or of banal taste. The avant-garde opposed kitsch as melodramatic and superficial affiliation with ...

jeepney art of its conventional counterparts.

Use in public transport

The COMET, is touted as a replacement to traditional jeepneys in the Philippines which plies routes in urban centers. In contrast to traditional jeepneys, where passengers could board and alight at any point in a given route in practice; COMETs were only allowed to do so at certain designated stops. The COMETs' public transport operations are managed by a Command Center, ran by Pangea Philippines which could track individual COMETs using

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...

installed on each vehicle. Fares are paid through a dedicated contactless smart card by GET. The COMET was first used for public transport in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was fou ...

in September 2014. The vehicle was relaunched on September 3, 2015 with changes made to increase its electrical range and adjustments to its air suspension. In December 2021, operations started in

Valenzuela Valenzuela may refer to: Places * Valenzuela, Paraguay * Valenzuela, Metro Manila, Philippines * Valenzuela, Spain * Valenzuela de Calatrava, Spain * Valenzuela, Louisiana Other uses * Valenzuela (surname), including a list of people with the n ...

. The Light Rail Manila Corp. along with GET also opened routes in Metro Manila.

References

{{reflist Buses of the United States Buses of the Philippines Public transportation in the Philippines Electric vehicles Minibuses Jeepneys