Expanding Public Transport to Cut Congestion Vientiane, Lao PDR

156K

TAxI TRIPs COMPlETEd IN ThE FIRsT 7 MONThs

Inhabitants 1.54 million

GdP per capita $5,653

Geographic area 4,704 km²

ThE ChAllENGE

In the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, air pollution has been described as a “child health crisis.”3 Promoting less-polluting forms of transportation is one way to reduce the risk to citizens.

CO-BENEFITs

health

The registered taxis that use LPG produce less CO₂, carbon monoxide and less NOx emissions than petroleum, reducing health risks for citizens.

social

An academy for taxi drivers was created, which provide training on topics such as safety procedures and professional development to enhance their skills.

taxis to help tackle air pollution in mongolia

In the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, a new ride-hailing app is helping connect citizens with taxis running on liquefied petroleum gas (lPG), a far less-polluting alternative to petroleum and diesel.

Through a mobile ride-hailing application called UBCab, reliable taxi services are assisting the public with access to more environment-friendly vehicles in an effort to reduce air pollution and fill the gaps from public transport.

Of the registered taxis, 90% use LPG, which produces around 10% less CO₂ than petroleum, around 80% less carbon monoxide, and far less nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, some of the main air pollutants that can cause health risks.2

The UBCab application uses global positioning system and smart payment systems to connect 70,000 registered users with taxi operators 24-7. Drivers receive fuel discounts at select gas stations that supply LPG as an incentive for registering their taxis in the application.

Due to the poor development of public transportation options for residents and the city’s freezing winter conditions, the taxis are helping to promote fast and effective travel, while providing less-polluting transportation options than privately owned vehicles. In the first 7 months of operation, the taxis had completed 156,000 successful trips.

UBCab taxi. Environment-friendly taxis running on LPG in Ulaanbaatar (photo by UBCab LLC).

3 United Nations Children's Fund. 2018.

Mongolia’s Air Pollution Is a Child

Health Crisis. 22 February. https:// www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ media_102683.html. 2 R. Ryskamp 2019. In-Use Emissions and Performance Testing of Propane-Fueled Engines. West Virginia University.