Greater Maale Region Unveils EV Minibus Charging Stations: Leading the Charge towards Sustainable and Green Mobility

Maale, JUNE 01, 2023: The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Maldives, with funding by the Government of Japan have today jointly inaugurated the charging stations for the electric vehicle (EV) minibuses for use in public transport in the Greater Maale Region. These charging stations are a product of the collaboration between the Ministry and UNDP under UNDP's project, "Leveraging nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to achieve Net Zero Emissions and Climate-Resilient Development, in response to the climate emergency" or the Climate Promise Project.

41% of the resident population lives in Maale. With its rapid growth, urbanization and population increase, reliable mobility is an essential service that catalyzes its economic and social growth. To meet these demands, the city has seen exponential growth in the number of conventional vehicles being imported and operated. This has also resulted in a clear increase of carbon emissions and poor ambient air quality in the region. The high density of vehicles has also resulted in the transport sector being listed as the second largest emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the country, accounting for 25% of total emissions in 2015.