Government accelerates Transition to Electric Public Transport System

The Minister of Land Transport, Mr Osman Mahomed, has urged private and individual bus operators to move towards electric buses and solar-powered charging solutions in line with Government’s vision to modernise the bus transport system in Mauritius.

He was speaking, yesterday, at a joint press conference with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, Ms Alka Bhatia, where he provided an overview of progress and ongoing initiatives in the bus transportation sector.

Minister Mahomed highlighted the Ministry’s collaboration with the UNDP on US$5.6 million project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), aimed at promoting low-carbon electric public bus transport. The project supports Mauritius’ transition towards cleaner public transport through the deployment of electric buses, the strengthening of charging infrastructure, and the development of enabling policies and regulations.

He indicated that, as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the National Transport Corporation Ltd (NTC) has already acquired 106 electric buses, which are currently operational. Rose-Hill Transport and Triolet Bus Service have also each introduced four electric buses into their respective fleets.

The Minister further underlined the Bus Modernisation Scheme, which provides bus owners with grants of up to Rs 3.5 million to replace their existing buses and stated that a Project Management Unit has been set up to further accelerate implementation of the initiative.

He also pointed to measures outlined in the Government Programme 2025–2029 aimed at developing modern and efficient transport infrastructure. These include the preparation of a 20-year Masterplan to provide strategic direction for the land transport sector, the expansion and modernisation of land transport infrastructure, enhanced road safety measures, and a comprehensive rethinking of the bus industry.

As regards road safety, the Land Transport Minister recalled that Government has already implemented the Penalty Points System, amended legislations and is also introducing a Graduated Licensing System, GPS technology to improve the monitoring of buses, and cashless ticketing. He further stated that the age of buses is being progressively reduced from 21 years to 16 years over a five-year period.

For her part, Ms Bhatia underlined that the collaboration represents an important step in Mauritius’ journey towards a cleaner and more sustainable transport sector. She reiterated UNDP’s commitment to supporting Mauritius in the implementation of low-carbon electric buses for public transport. The funding, she said, reflects the shared commitment of UNDP and Mauritius to advancing the country’s climate ambitions while developing a modern, efficient and environmentally friendly public transport system.

10 September 2026

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Topics: Transport