This initiative will provide quality, clean and safe transport that will serve the municipality's most vulnerable population.
18 May 2022, San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala - San Juan Comalapa, a municipality in the district of Chimaltenango, is committed to sustainable development and is taking a step towards electromobility in Guatemala. On 4 May, the electric tricycle units - called tuc tucs - were presented, which will help to reduce and avoid greenhouse gas emissions and will provide public passenger transport, mobilisation for the disabled and elderly, as well as solid waste collection in areas that are difficult to access.
During this event, the donation certificates were signed by the institutions that will make use of the units and information was shared about their technical characteristics. In addition, the start of training and test drives was announced, which were carried out during the following days.
This is a pilot project of the Urban Mobility sector of the EUROCLIMA+ programme, funded by the European Union. It is implemented with the technical assistance of GIZ in collaboration with the Climate Change Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Guatemala and the Municipality of San Juan Comalapa.
"Mobility is one of the aspects that generates the most pollution in Guatemala. This is the first project to be developed in a municipality, so it is a model in the area of electromobility," said Saúl Pérez, Director of Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
For the first phase of implementation of the pilot project, a total of nine electric tuc tucs were delivered as well as the installation of their charging points. The units were designed in response to the specific needs of the region, satisfactorily meeting the requirements necessary to provide a quality, clean and safe public transport service.
As a pilot project, it is intended to be a good example for Guatemala to be replicated in other regions to make electromobility a reality in the country and in Latin America. For its proper implementation, studies such as current mobility analysis, state of the art and market study of electric tricycles, among others, were carried out.
Characteristics of the electric tuc tucs
Two units will be used for public passenger transport. With a capacity for three people -a driver and two passengers-, these electric tuc tucs are safe and low in fuel consumption and emissions and aim to create a user-centred business model.
For their part, the three units for social transport will be exclusively for the transport of people with some degree of disability and the elderly. As they belong to vulnerable groups with mobility limitations, the units are inclusive models with amenities and features such as compact wheelchairs, and a ramp grill, among other features.
These units for social transport were donated to the Association "Sonrisas Angelicales", the Civil Association "Mesón Buen Samaritano" and the Special Education School in San Juan Comalapa.
For their part, the four cargo units will help dignify the work of the municipality's waste collectors. These tricycles have double traction for slopes, space for collection tools and a load capacity of up to 2,500 pounds.
Lessons learned
Another highlight of the initiative is the integration of the community, specifically women, during the tuc tuc owners' assemblies. Technical training on maintenance, operation and management of the tuc tucs was provided to improve the women's perception of security and projection, as well as to increase their influence on decision-making within the municipality's processes.
All the lessons learned, such as the complications of the tender and the delays and adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have been systematised to provide knowledge for scaling up electric mobility initiatives in the region.
The presentation of the units was attended by representatives of the main institutions involved in the project: the Municipality of San Juan Comalapa, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Education, the German Embassy in Guatemala and German Development Cooperation (GIZ).
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German federal government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
The Programme's mission is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting mitigation, adaptation, resilience and climate investment. It is implemented according to the "Spirit of Team Europe" under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
For more information:
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