MTCC to go green with electric buses
The mini-bus services which officially started on September 2022 might just be the start of a good transportation link in the Maldives.
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The developments in the transportation sector in the Maldives in 2022 are undeniable. The introduction of mini-buses, the recent start RTL ferry network in the North, and the MoU signed between the Government of Maldives and Malaysia coming into effect have been success stories in the Maldives transportation sector this year.
Vehicles and air pollution
While the introduction of mini-buses is brought in to make connectivity within Male’ and bigger Atolls more accessible, with a large amount of traffic it appears that people are still finding it hard to see the introduction of buses as a way to minimise these issues in the Maldives.
Due to the problem of road congestion as a result of a large number of vehicles in Male’ city, even the bus gets stuck in traffic, making the trip excruciatingly long at some hours of the day. While all this might be a nuisance to those who drive on the streets as well as anyone trying to walk to their destination, there is a bigger issue that is arising due to the high number of vehicles in the Maldives: air pollution.
Anyone who lives in Male’ and takes a visit to the nearby island Villimale’ will notice the difference in the air the moment they arrive on the island. With the increasing traffic problems, the excessive amounts of motor vehicles as well as the seemingly never-ending construction in Male’ city, everyone is constantly just inhaling the fumes coming out of one thing or the other.
And while the introduction of mini-buses is a great way to try and combat the road congestion issues, the usage of so many motor-run mini-buses further adds to the air pollution issue in the Maldives.
While the Government of the Maldives has been putting in some effort in order to make the Maldives a more sustainable country, it appears that everyone might be missing one of the biggest issues that need to be addressed in the Maldives, and that is the noise and air pollution from all the vehicles in the city.
Introduction of electric buses
Even though it might be a passing thought when visiting Villimale’, the thought of how refreshing the air could be in Male’ with the usage of electric vehicles must occur to everyone. Well, Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), which is in charge of public transportation in the Maldives announced that they will be bringing in electric buses in the future and will be replacing the diesel buses that are currently being used.
While the diesel buses were brought in due to an effort to start public transportation within the city as well as islands as soon as possible, the company has plans to change to using electric buses when the details of exactly how payments and other specifics relating to the usage of the buses are set in the Maldives.
“Before electric bus services can commence, charging stations must be established, people must be trained alongside multiple other undertakings. Because this can be time-consuming, the service commenced with diesel buses”
The mini-bus services which officially started on September 2022 might just be the start of a good transportation link being created in the Maldives as well and hopefully the first steps toward eco-friendly transportation in the near future.
