By Moses M. Tokpah
-Margibi
The Ministry of Transport in partnership with the Liberia Energy Access Practitioner Network (LEAP) has ended a one-day stakeholder engagement workshop in Margibi County.
The workshop which took place at CYNTHEO Guest House in Kakata City over the weekend, brought together people from diverse backgrounds such as marketers, students, motorcyclists, visually impaired people, and TVET institutions.
Led by LEAP Network in collaboration with Emergi Liberia, the initiative is a key step towards sustainable transportation in Liberia, focusing on the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).
The aim is to work with all government institutions, NGOs, CSOs, Students, and diverse stakeholders and partners in the off-grid and transport sectors to ensure the success of the project for the benefit of Liberia.
Speaking to the Inquirer Newspaper at the end of the workshop, the President of LEAP Network, Royston Gbelia, said participants were educated on zero-emission vehicles, the benefit, and the challenges with focus on discussing and developing policy that will guide the sector.
Gbelia explained that the sector is new in Liberia with no policy governing it and since businesses are now bringing in Zero-Emission Vehicles, there is a need to develop policies.
He narrated that a few companies have brought some of the Zero-Emission Vehicles in Liberia and are piloting it to see how it will work in the country.
The LEAP Network president further narrated that data that will be gathered from the pilot project will inform the decision of the Ministry of Transport in developing policies.
He said it is good that the two entities are bringing participants on the table and getting their inputs while developing such important document (policy) because according to him, they are the ones that will use the zero-emission vehicles as they are the direct beneficiaries.
Gbelia said during the workshop, participants among other things advised on how they would like for zero-emission vehicles to be, noting that their concerns were documented and will be taken into consideration in developing the policy document.
He also asserted that they are just gathering the data and the ministry will craft the policy document expressing hope that at the end of 2025 or early 2026 it will be out.
“Zero-Emission Vehicles are vehicles that are electric and do not use gasoline or create toxic emission for the environment. Now we talking about going green protecting the environment so, zero-emission plays a major part in that regard” he concluded.
The Environmental Specialist from the Division of Climate Change and Environment at the Ministry of Transport, Amos Gbeyanyon Yloe, said the ministry as the regulatory entity for all transport activities in Liberia, takes seriously the process being carried out by LEAP Network.
According to him, the ministry wants to ensure that there is a sustainable transport system in Liberia where goods and services can be transported from one end of the country to another under a saved atmosphere without negatively destroying the environment and the people.
He said to have a sustainable transport system in Liberia will require a corporate effort of everyone adding that no single individual can effectuate sustainable transport system in the country.
Yloe called on the participants to take seriously the knowledge acquired so they too can serve as a forerunner of sustainable transport activities in the country.
He thanked the leadership of LEAP Network for the effort, the great interest and the desire it has shown in transforming the transport sector so that Liberia cannot be at the back.
Yloe assured LEAP Network and the people of Liberia that the ministry will do everything it can so that Liberia can be second to none when it comes to sustainable transport system.
Meanwhile, participants of the one-day workshop lauded LEAP and the Ministry of Transport for organizing the initiative describing it as an eye opener for them especially when it comes to the issue of electric vehicles.
