6 December 2022, Port Louis, Mauritius – The Government of Mauritius and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today signed a USD 5.6 million grant agreement to support the implementation of sustainable and efficient public transport infrastructure. Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the “Promoting Low-carbon Electric Public Bus Transport in Mauritius” project will be implemented by the Ministry of Land Transport and Light Rail. The signing of the agreement was witnessed by Hon. Alan Ganoo, Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade and Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa.

“The Government is committed towards reversing the effects of climate change. This project will indeed contribute towards the revamping of our transport industry and support the achievement of the Government's vision relating to the development of a sustainable transport infrastructure and reduction of transport related Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The collaboration for the 60 electric buses under this GEF-7 Project is just the first step towards the e-mobility vision of Government. The 60 electric buses would help Mauritius to reduce CO2 emission by around 4000 metric tons annually.” said, Hon Minister Alan Ganoo, Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mauritius

In Mauritius, buses are the main form of public transport. As of June 2020, there were 3,094 registered buses in Mauritius, out of which 1,962 or 63.4%, were public transport buses operating with a road service license. Over 60% of the country's population uses buses at least once a week, with many passengers using them for their daily commute. The inadequate public transport system has resulted in a steady shift towards private vehicles for daily usage - resulting in traffic congestion and increased air pollution. With the rapid increase in the vehicular fleet, nearly 470 motor vehicles per 1000 population, Mauritius now has one of the highest vehicular densities in Africa. In 2019, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector were estimated to be 1,132 Gg CO2-eq compared to 1,109 in 2018, up by 2.1% due to higher fuel consumption.

To mitigate these challenges, Mauritius aims to introduce electric buses to improve both access and the public transport network while boosting the effort to reducing fossil fuel consumption to enable a reduction in Green House Gases emissions and pollution from the transport sector. The project will also support the government in the development and implementation of electric vehicles policy and regulatory frameworks, including deployment of electric charging infrastructure and disposal/recycling. This is in line with Mauritius' commitment to attaining a reduction in GHG emissions as part of the Paris Agreement. In its updated NDC, Mauritius raised ambition to reduce GHG emissions by 40% in 2030 compared to business-as-usual, instead of the initial NDC target of 30%.

“Seizing innovative and smart opportunities that can transform our economies from the dependency on fossil fuels is fundamental to achieving a clean, sustainable future for all. This project strongly demonstrates Mauritius' high level of ambition and commitment, as articulated in the Nationally Determined contributions, to address climate mitigation and adaptation.” said Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa.

The “Promoting Low-carbon Electric Public Bus Transport in Mauritius” project aims to support the government strategy to modernize and de-carbonize its public transport system over the next ten years focusing on five components:

1. Policy and regulatory framework for electric public (bus) transport in Mauritius.
2. Financial Incentive package for electric buses and charging infrastructure.
3. Technical Feasibility and Capacity Building.
4. Awareness Raising to address barriers related to lack of awareness on benefits of low-carbon electric public transport.
5. Knowledge Management, Monitoring and Evaluation targeting stakeholders including the Ministry of Land Transport and Light Rail, the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, the National Transport Authority, and Public Transport Operators, among others.

For more information, contact:
Stéphane Bellerose, Communication Specialist, UNDP stephane.bellerose@undp.org +230 57662434