Africa-Press – Mauritius. he Project Steering Committee of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) initiative, ‘Promoting Low-Carbon Electric Public Bus in Mauritius’, convened, yesterday, at the Ministry of Land Transport in Port Louis.
The session was chaired by the Minister of Land Transport, Mr Osman Mahomed, and attended by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, Mrs Alka Bhatia; the Chargé de projets of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Mr Abendra Patten; as well as representatives from key Ministries and bus operators.
Discussions centred on ongoing UNDP support for land transport initiatives and the strategic direction of the electric public bus transition. The six-year project, running from 2022 to 2028, is supported by USD 5.6 million in GEF funding, complemented by USD 37.3 million in co-financing. It aims to accelerate the shift towards clean public transport while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Mauritius’s land transport sector.
The GEF–UNDP Project seeks to promote capital investment in sustainable, low-carbon public transport infrastructure; reduce transport-related GHG emissions and improve urban air quality; and build national capacity and develop a comprehensive policy and regulatory framework for electric public transport.
The project is structured around five components: Policy and regulatory framework for electric bus transport; financial incentives for e-bus procurement and charging infrastructure; technical feasibility and capacity building for relevant institutions; awareness raising on the benefits of low-carbon transport; and knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation.
By integrating electric buses into the public transport network, the project aims to curtail fossil fuel dependency, cut emissions, and reduce pollution. It also supports the development of supporting infrastructure and recycling systems, and promotes a modern, low-carbon, gender-sensitive and inclusive transport system accessible to persons with disabilities and the elderly.
The implementation of the Project started in November 2023 following the recruitment of a Project Manager and a Project Assistant. Minster Mahomed had a meeting with the UNDP Resident Representative in January 2025 and proposed new components to be included in the project. They are: Integrated Land Transport Masterplan; electric buses/vehicles; road safety; road congestion; review of Regulatory Framework of Mauritius for Road Transport; other modes of Transport; and computerisation/inclusion of new technology for Road Transport.
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