UNDP urges Sri Lanka to raise public transport use to 50% by 2035

Sri Lanka should significantly expand the use of public transport over the next decade to reduce fuel import costs, ease road congestion and curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The UNDP said the country should increase the share of journeys made using public transport from the current 35 percent to 50 percent by 2035 as part of a broader strategy to improve energy efficiency and support sustainable economic growth.

The recommendation forms part of Sri Lanka’s commitments under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 3.0, the country’s latest climate action plan submitted under the global framework to combat climate change. The NDC outlines voluntary measures that Sri Lanka has pledged to implement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen climate resilience. According to the UNDP, the transport sector remains one of Sri Lanka’s largest contributors to climate change, accounting for approximately 46 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector in 2021. The agency noted that reducing emissions from transport is therefore critical to achieving the country’s climate targets while also addressing rising expenditure on imported fossil fuels.

The UNDP said increasing public transport usage would bring multiple benefits, including reduced traffic congestion in urban centres, lower levels of air pollution and reduced transport costs for commuters. A greater shift towards buses and railways would also help decrease fuel consumption, easing pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves spent on fuel imports. To improve the energy efficiency of the transport sector, the UNDP recommended accelerating the transition to electric buses and expanding electrified rail services while modernising the existing railway network. It also stressed the importance of making public transport more accessible and convenient for all users, alongside introducing park-and-ride facilities that would enable motorists to leave private vehicles at designated locations and continue their journeys using public transport.

The programme also outlined several vehicle-related targets to support the transition to cleaner mobility. It said Sri Lanka should increase the number of electric three-wheelers on the road to around 100,000 by 2030 and further expand the fleet to 500,000 by 2035. In addition, the UNDP recommended improving the average fuel efficiency of vehicles by 25 percent by 2035 through stronger vehicle emission testing programmes and the wider adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles. It noted that vehicles with higher fuel efficiency consume less fuel per kilometre, lowering operating costs for motorists while reducing carbon emissions and delivering long-term environmental and economic benefits for the country.

Source: Daily News