By Hanningtone Meyo, Founder, Green Drivers Community, Kenya

The rise and rapid growth of urban centres has led to an increase in pollution due to rapid industrialisation and people’s need for transport for work and daily living. The transport sector in Kenya has recognised its important contributions towards attaining the goal of zero emissions and rallying workers and the community towards the adoption of clean and renewable energy. Drivers have come together to form an organisation of Green Drivers under the umbrella of the Kenya Bodaboda Tuktuk and Taxi Workers Union, aiming to be an active part of the climate change agenda by transitioning from fuel-engine-driven locomotives to electric motor-driven locomotives with zero emissions.

Detailed below are the direct and indirect impacts of e-vehicles on Kenya’s transport workers and communities.

Positive Environmental Impact

Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, has more than 40,000 drivers who operate across the city centre and work on various hours and shifts. An average driver working 15 hours consumes 19 litres of petrol, with 87% of that, or 652 grammes, of carbon per litre. This equates to emitting roughly 45,448 grammes of Co2 into the atmosphere every day. Through transitions drivers to electric cars, it empowers a widespread reduction of pollution Co2 from being emitted into the environment per day in Nairobi city alone

Economic Empowerment

Transition into electric vehicles provides an economic impact to drivers through savings and investments. First, full-time taxi drivers spend between Ksh. 1500 to Ksh. 2500 per day on fuel, depending on the number of trips and distance. As the taxi sector moves to driving electric vehicles, spending decreases, and a full-time taxi driver saves up to Ksh. 75000 per month on fuel. Second, as traditional cars need general regular service costs for the car and maintenance, drivers are expending between Ksh. 2500 to Ksh. 4500 every month. Electric vehicles are designed differently, and because they do not require monthly services, a single driver can save up to Ksh. 4500 every month. Third, as drivers enter into the gig economy, commission fees from apps average to Ksh. 1875 per driver per day. With the introduction of a driver-friendly app that will only charge 5% commission for the app, drivers can save at least Ksh. 1500 per day, amounting to Ksh. 45000 per month.

In total, switching to greener electric vehicles benefits drivers by saving an average of Ksh. 124,500 every month and Ksh. 1,494,000.00 every year. These benefits provide financial stability and an opportunity for transport workers to reinvest their savings into other economic pursuits, such as family and education.

Actions taken by the Green Drivers Community, and recommendations to support the transition to e-vehicles include:

1. Providing more opportunities to drive or own a new (zero-mileage) electric vehicle, which allows for savings of more than 90% from fuel cost alone, and an expansion of financial net worth and investment.
2. Acquiring e-vehicles directly from manufacturers with a warranty of eight years. Among the foregoing middlemen, electric vehicles are more affordable for transport sector workers.
3. Accessing subsidies and collective bargaining provided by the government and the private sector makes the vehicle more cost-effective.
4. Creating community ties with unions and worker associations within the formal and informal transport sector that can develop pathways to transition to green e-vehicles, and promote awareness of drivers’ rights.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of AIDMI.