After raising $6.6 million to launch commercial deliveries of its electric buses to public service operators (PSVs) in Kenya, Kenyan mobility start-up BasiGo is teaming up with Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA). The partnership involves the local assembly of 1,000 electric buses in the city of Mombasa, located 485 kilometers from Nairobi.
The 33-seater vehicles will be delivered by 2026 and will create at least 300 green jobs in manufacturing, charging, and maintenance. “The electrification of Kenya’s transport sector is accelerating, and our company is proud to be leading the way. These new buses will soon be hitting Kenyan roads to give people access to safe, comfortable, and clean public transport for their daily commute,” says Jit Bhattacharya, BasiGo’s CEO.
Accelerating electric mobility
During this year 2023, BasiGo will train road users, vehicle operators, and drivers (taxis, moto-taxis, and trucks), as well as logistics and security professionals (firefighters, first aiders) in green mobility. This three-day theoretical and practical training will be conducted in partnership with the Advanced Mobility Academy based in Nairobi. It will include modules on the operation of an electric vehicle, key safety systems and procedures, and eco-driving to reduce air pollution.
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Meanwhile, Kenya’s National Treasury recently announced that it is considering tax incentives to support the development of sustainable transport in the country’s 47 counties. This measure, which aims to reduce taxes and customs duties on “the importation, local assembly or marketing of electric vehicles”, will be presented to Kenyan parliamentarians as part of the 2024 Finance Bill. It will notably allow the introduction of at least 350 electric cars and bicycles in this East African country.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi