(Trinidad Guardian) Government will move “very soon” to ensure that all public vehicles are electric, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced at Tuesday’s ‘Conversations with the Prime Minister’ event.
And some drivers who welcome the news have reminded Government of the need for proper infrastructure for electric vehicles, so this will not fail as the bid for CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)-fuelled vehicles did.
During his contribution, Rowley said the move towards a CNG policy was more or less obsolete now, as it was never fully accepted by the driving public. He said he’d instructed the Energy Minister on Tuesday to accelerate Government’s programme to seek and obtain its new fleet of electric buses for T&T
“And Government will move very soon to ensure that all public vehicles – not just buses – are electric,” he said.
He said the Finance Ministry will also move more aggressively to encourage the driving public to use electric vehicles.
“So the benefit of this will accrue to that target we set ourselves.”
The PM cited large figures in the usage of liquid premium fuel, which increased from 35 million litres in 2016 to 105 million litres last year alone. He said cars on the road are skewered to using premium gas and that has to do with availability.
If T&T is going electric, he said it will be generated from local gas and not imported fuels.
“So a policy is screaming out to move to electric vehicles and we’ve heard that,” he said.
Rowley said with the policy for electric transport to come, people should be on notice to start looking for electric cars ahead, as T&T cannot continue its use of liquid premium fuel as it has done for the last four years.
Yesterday, Port-of-Spain-San Fernando Taxi Drivers’ Association president Kenneth Williams said electric was the way to go since the world was heading that way.
Kevin Peters added, “It’s a good move but late. Solid homework’s needed to ensure the required infrastructure for electric vehicles is available so this doesn’t fail the way CNG did. CNG could have worked but cost to install kits was expensive, plus there was one CNG station in San Fernando which vehicles from all over south used.
“There must be easily available charging ports for electric vehicles, battery cost – which can run to $20,000 – shouldn’t be prohibitive and there must be maintenance capacity.”
Andre Morrison added, “It’ll be a great move financially for drivers – more economical, we’ll await what framework the Finance Ministry offers to incentivise it.”
Rowley also confirmed Government hasn’t closed the door to the aluminium smelter business again and is talking to people about it. He said Government would be open if the opportunity arose once it made economic sense.
“We missed the boat on that and we’re now on the shore waving at passing vessels. You could imagine if we had built that smelter in La Brea at the time it was being built and the price you’re quoting there today for something that is not oil or gas, what it could have been contributing to the economy?” Rowley added.
“But we were right on the doorstep of an aluminium business. The TGU plant in La Brea was built precisely for that purpose.” But by the time that plant was finished politics had killed the idea and we’re now in a position where the most I can say to you is if the opportunity arises and we keep looking for opportunities.”
He said Government would do “everything else that we can do to diversify the economy” from music and film to agriculture.
