Electric tuk-tuks gaining popularity in Mombasa

Tuk-tuk stakeholders have called on the county government to create an enabling environment to ease the transition from fuel tuk-tuks to electric ones.

Though the transition is gaining momentum, there is relatively poor infrastructure to support the complete transition at the moment.

“We are happy to ride these tuk-tuks because they don’t make noise, unlike the fuel ones. They also cut the cost of fuel thus increasing our profit margins,” Mustafa Amin, a tuk-tuk driver, said.

Amin said with fuel tuktuks, he saves up to Sh26,000 a month that would otherwise have gone to buying fuel.

He also said maintenance costs have reduced significantly because he no longer has to change oil every two weeks.

“I can now afford to buy meat for my family thrice a week,” he said after benefitting from a Piaggio electric tuk-tuk that was launched last Wednesday in Mombasa.

The Piaggio tuk-tuk comes with a one-year warranty and a business-friendly battery capacity.

The advanced technology, with which it has been made, means a single full charge can go up to 120km.

The Car & General Managing Director David Chesoni said the launch of the Piaggio electric tuk-tuks was a step towards the realisation of a green city as envisioned by the Mombasa county government.

He however said the transition from fuel tuk-tuks to electric ones will not happen overnight.

“It will happen over time but we are making the right steps so as to not only ensure a clean environment but also save the owners a lot of money,” Chesoni said.

He said this is because there has to be an enabling environment for the transition to take place effectively.

“We must have good infrastructure to support the electric tuk-tuks for the complete transition,” Chesoni said.

General Manager at Car and General George Rubiri said the e-tuktuks are designed in such a way that service will not be required as frequently as the fuel ones.

This means the profit margin will increase for investors in the business.

Rubiri said the tuk-tuk industry is worth Sh10 billion and Mombasa alone has close to 15,000 tuk-tuks operating in the county.

“One tuk-tuk has a gross income of about Sh2,500 per day. In a month, that is Sh750 million gross income in Mombasa alone. In a year, that is more than Sh10 billion that the tuk-tuk industry brings to Mombasa,” Rubiri said.

The electric tuk-tuks are in two designs, one with fixed battery, which can be charged anywhere and the other one has swap technology.

“That is why we have partnered with Shell where you can swap your battery just like fuel tuk-tuk goes to Shell to fuel,” Rubiri said.

Tuktuks have been in Mombasa for over two decades now and the transformation of lives through tuktuks has been witnessed.

“Apart from creating employment and transportation of goods, the electric tuk-tuks bring convenience as clients can read while being transported because of the lack of noise,” he said.

He said with time there will be charging stations in public spaces that will be established in partnership with the county government.

Already, there are 20 charging stations in Mombasa.

Mombasa County Trade, Tourism and Culture Executive Mohamed Osman said the county will ensure an enabling environment for the tuk-tuk operators and suppliers.

“Car and General are our partners and we will work together to ensure good policies that create a win-win situation for both the businessmen and the county,” he said.

Kipevu MCA Leila Nyache, who is also the chair of the Mombasa County Assembly committee on climate change, said the world over is transitioning towards electric vehicles and Mombasa cannot be left behind.

“The emissions from fuels cause the greenhouse effect which later affects our weather patterns. That is why we are witnessing rains when we are supposed to be in the dry season,” Nyache said.

She noted that the county assembly is keen to ensure Mombasa fights climate change which may have devastating effects as witnessed in some parts of the country.