Uganda launches first Chinese-made electric taxis

Uganda has launched their first ever Chinese-made electric taxis as the country aims to reduce air pollution amidst the growing threat of climate change.

Uganda has launched their first ever Chinese-made electric taxis as the country aims to reduce air pollution amidst the growing threat of climate change.

Ratan Tayal, the Director of Freedomev, a company dealing in electric vehicles on Thursday handed two taxis to operators at a park in the capital, Kampala.

He said the taxis imported from China will serve as a yardstick towards the country’s reduced expending on importing public service vehicles.

“There is no sound. There is no pollution. And the government will save their foreign currency because now the current taxis are consuming diesel and petrol which we have to import from the third country,” he told the media on Thursday.

“We have electricity and it is economical, the vehicles are also brand new,” he added.

Douglas Mugera Mayinja, the supervisor of Federation of Uganda Taxi Operators, said the vehicles would help reduce on their operational costs.

“This vehicle is going to be helpful so much because it doesn’t consume fuel,” Mayinja said.

“It goes together with our environment. It helps a lot. It cannot bring any sickness to our environment,” he added.

The official explained that charging the taxis for two hours would power it to move a distance of about 300km.

Badru Makumbi, the Deputy Mayor Kawempe Division, once more taxis are brought in, the level of environmental pollution would reduce drastically.

“These vehicles have come in timely because everywhere the world over people are focusing on reduction of environmental pollution,” he said.

“Therefore, much as they are still expensive at the beginning, we expect that as you raise the market for the operators of the taxis, we expect that the cost is much likely to go down,” he added.

Already the country is in the process of manufacturing electric buses, all aimed at reducing emissions as well as congestion in the public transport system.

In Uganda, solar-powered motorcycles are also being used as boda bodas.

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