Challenges to Alternative Fuel Vehicle Usage in Trinidad

Abstract

The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has set itself some lofty targets in terms of reducing CO2 emissions from public transportation by 2030. Several initiatives have been launched since 2015 in order to fulfill these targets. One key strategy is the adoption of a higher percentage of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) into the overall fleet of vehicles. This article reviews the history and implementation of the various AFV oriented policies and examines the effectiveness of these initiatives. The authors describe the current state of the motorised vehicle fleet in terms of fuel type and highlight where adoption levels have fallen short of the target. The percentage of AVFs per public transit mode ranges from about 2 to 20 percent, where the higher percent represents the CNG buses belonging to the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC). In Trinidad, the natural gas supply is already well-established, refuelling stations are in operation and up to 20 original equipment manufacturer CNG vehicles are available on the market, supplemented by the option of vehicle conversion. The opposite is true for electric vehicles. The article further identifies the four key issues affecting the improved adoption of AFVs namely: (i) Fuel Prices (ii) Availability of Alternative Fuels, (iii) Consumer Perception and Resistance, and (iv) Lack of Institutional Support. In addition to presenting the proposals by others for improvements to the local transportation system, the authors recommend six key actions that should be taken to achieve the targets set for 2021 and beyond.