Photo taken on May 10, 2019, shows a view of Kigali, capital city of Rwanda. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)
There is a new sight on the streets of Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda: new electric vehicles whizzing among old gasoline-powered ones.
KIGALI, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- There is a new sight on the streets of Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda: new electric vehicles whizzing among old gasoline-powered ones.
The Kigali city authorities, in partnership with BasiGo, a Kenyan-based company, launched the pilot electric buses in public transport earlier this month, following a similar trial on minibuses in the city.
When fully charged, the bus can travel 300 kilometers, with charging points installed in Kigali's Kicukiro district.
The goal is to introduce 200 buses on the streets of Kigali within 18 months, each with a capacity to carry 70 passengers, according to officials.
Rwandan residents and experts said the introduction of the electric buses would boost the country's efforts to advance smart mobility systems to facilitate sustainability in the economy.
"I'm excited about the introduction of electric buses. In terms of environment protection, it was long overdue. I hope that a rollout of electric cars will reduce pollution," one passenger, who gave his name only as Hirwa, told Xinhua, adding that the bus is comfortable and reduces travel time by about a half.
In July, the Rwandan government signed a deal with Vivo Energy company to introduce more than 200 electric buses to the country.
Innocent Umuhoza, who has been working as a professional driver for 18 years, was operating a brand-new electric bus from downtown Kigali to Remera Park along the airport road. "Old, combustion-engine buses can be a menace as they produce a lot of dangerous fumes which affect our environment."
Students wait for bus to travel home for holiday in Kigali, Rwanda, March 29, 2022. (Photo by Cyril Ndegeya/Xinhua)
For now, the majority of buses on Rwandan roads are still gasoline-powered.
The last time Umuhoza filled a diesel-powered bus with 100 liters of fuel, it cost him between 160,000 Rwandan francs (about 127 U.S. dollars) to 170,000 francs.
The electric bus he now drives, by comparison, consumes electricity worth 40,000 Rwandan francs (about 31 dollars) from downtown Kigali to Remera, saving about 120,000 Rwandan francs of the money previously spent on fuel, according to Umuhoza.
He said that transport operators using gasoline-powered vehicles lose money during non-peak days when travellers are few.
"Fuel is sometimes prohibitively expensive. For example, driving from the town center to Remera Taxi Park, if I carry 40 passengers in a bus with capacity to take 76 passengers, their transport fare cannot cover the fuel consumed," he said. "For an electric bus with capacity to carry 70 passengers, even when I take 40, there is no loss on the part of my employer, because electricity consumption is very low."
Overall, the operational cost of an electric vehicle is said to be 40 percent less than that of petrol vehicles.
Umuhoza said that since electricity is locally produced, part of the money previously used to import fuel will be saved and invested in the economy.
Jean d'Amour Nsengimana, a passenger on board a bus from downtown Kigali to the Remera suburbs, called for more electric vehicles on Rwandan roads to avoid pollution.
Rashid Rutayisire, another driver, said that after years of driving gasoline-powered vehicles he doesn't even want to smell gasoline any more.
He said electric buses are well-built in the interior, installed with charging systems and mobile internet, as well as comfortable seats for both the driver and passengers.
People ride shared bicycles in the central business district in Kigali, Rwanda, on Sept. 9, 2021. (Photo by Cyril Ndegeya/Xinhua)
Abias Maniragaba, an environmentalist, said the introduction of electric vehicles is "a right step toward the global goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by adopting green technology, green transport in the country, and in terms of nature conservation."
"This initiative will help the movement to be greener, where people can move with zero emissions. When we reduce the greenhouse gas we are sending to the atmosphere," he told Xinhua.
Maniragaba urged the government to help subsidize transport fare for people using electric buses to encourage more people to abandon use of individual gas-powered vehicles.
He also called for more awareness about the benefits of electric vehicles to increase their adoption. "We need to think globally, and act locally."
"Although Rwanda's emission is quite low compared to developed countries, it has a direct impact on our community," Maniragaba said.
Rwanda has abolished import taxes on electric vehicles and hybrids that utilize both electricity and petroleum products, including electric motorcycles, to encourage their adoption and contribute to a greener, cleaner future. ■
