Transport Ministry holds national electric vehicle policy stakeholder engagement in Upper East Region

The Ministry of Transport has held a consultative stakeholder forum in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region for the National Electric Vehicle Policy.

The forum was held with the aim of fostering collaboration and generating inputs from the region’s transport ecosystem to help in the implementation of the policy.

The engagement, which enjoyed huge representation from government officials, academia, industry and environmental experts and community leaders, was also aimed at identifying potential challenges in the region and exploring innovative solutions to shape the forthcoming policy to reflect the needs and aspirations of the people.

In a keynote address, the deputy transport minister, Frederick Obeng Adom, stated that the engagement which would be held nationwide, will help the ministry to formulate a comprehensive guideline for the effective implementation of the policy

“The policy development process calls for extensive consultations to solicit input from relevant stakeholders, the first phase of this process will see engagements of stakeholders from regional administrations, ministries, departments and agencies, private sector organizations, civil society organisations and transport operators among others. During this forum, views of participants will be solicited and adequately captured in the EV policy going forward.”

Adom, among other benefits, noted that the use of electric vehicles would promote renewable energy and contribute to the reduction of pollution in the country.

He said, “The national energy transition framework as part of its decarbonization of activities seeks to promote and ensure the use of electric vehicles as an alternative, cleaner and efficient means of transport.

The use of electric vehicles in the country will promote renewable energy and also contribute to reducing in population. As is already apparent, pollution in cities is killing people, affecting the physical and mental development of children and raising a case for the urgent need to change to EVs, walking, cycling and electric mass transit.

He added that “Ghana will be one of the first to set an example that West Africa and for that matter Africa can be part of the success story of electricity mobility”.

The deputy minister, therefore, urged the stakeholders to embrace the policy to help the country transition to a net zero-emission future. 

He said, “As the world moves away from fossil fuels vehicles to electric vehicles, it is necessary that Ghana moves with time to ensure that our country does not become convenient dumping grounds for used fossil fuels vehicles.”

The formulation of a National Electric Vehicle policy was announced by the government in 2022 to guide the deployment and scale-up of electric vehicles in the country. The policy will define the operational guidelines as Ghana prepares to introduce the first-ever powered electric buses and gas-powered buses for public transportation. 

Data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), has shown that out of the 2.8 million registered vehicles as of 2021, 72% are powered by petrol engines, 27% by diesel engines and less than 1% by LPG and other energy sources. Therefore, the Transport Ministry has intensified its stakeholders’ consultations to discuss and roll out the policy. 

Reporting by Senyalah Castro in the Upper East Region

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