First appeared in
Asian Development Bank
100 Climate Actions from Cities in Asia and the Pacific
In the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, a new ride hailing app is helping to connect citizens with taxis running on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), a far less polluting alternative to petroleum and diesel.
In the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, a new ride hailing app is helping to 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 environmentally-friendly vehicles in an effort to reduce air pollution and to fill the void left by public transport.
156K
TAXI TRIPS COMPLETED IN THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS
Ninety percent of the registered taxis use LPG which produces around 10% less CO₂ than petroleum and around 80% less carbon monoxide, and far less NOx emissions, some of the main air pollutants that can cause health risks.
The UBCab application uses GPS and smart payment systems to connect 70,000 registered users with taxi operators 24/7. As an incentive to become a registered taxi driver, drivers receive fuel discounts at select gas stations which supply LPG.
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 seven months of operation the taxis had completed 156,000 successful trips.
Environmentally-friendly taxis running on LPG in Ulaanbaatar (photo by UBCab LLC).
The Challenge
In the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, air pollution has been described as a “child health crisis”. 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, less carbon monoxide, and less NOx emissions than petroleum, reducing health risks for citizens.
Social An academy was created for taxi drivers providing training on topics such as safety procedures and professional development to enhance their skills.