News Sustainable Energy Smart Mobility
3 min.
Following new subsidies regarding electric transport and sustainable entrepreneurship regarding the European Netherlands that have come into force on January 1st, 2022, the government of Bonaire has also announced that it will be looking into ways of promoting sustainable transport on the island. This was necessary, because the measures for the European Netherlands do not (yet) apply to the Dutch Caribbean. “These subsidies are not available in the special municipalities of Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius”, stated the Dutch Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management), “The situation on the islands is different than it is in the European Netherlands and therefore requires a custom-made approach”.
In the past year, the Bestuurscollege van Bonaire (Bonaire's Executive Council) repeatedly mentioned that it would like to see the same subsidies being made available for the islands in the Dutch Caribbean. Talks in this regard are ongoing and the Dutch ministry has stated that it's seriously looking into special measures to encourage electric transport in Bonaire.
Reinforcing Bonaire's international reputation as a sustainable destination
In the meantime, Bonaire's government are also investigating what it can do itself to stimulate the use of electric and sustainable transport on the island. This is one of the ways in which the special municipality within the Kingdom of the Netherlands wants to reinforce its status as a Blue Destination, while also contributing to the Climate Agreement and the accompanying goals that was signed by the Netherlands.
Considering the enormous global growth of electric transport and electric cars in particular over the past decades, the local authorities in Bonaire believe now is the perfect moment to join what they see as an unstoppable trend. An island the size of Bonaire is pre-eminently ideal for electric transport, thanks to the relatively short distances. Where the action radius of today's electric vehicles is often mentioned as a disadvantage, the average radius of a few hundred kilometers is more than enough to get around in Bonaire. On top of that, there is plenty of sun to power solar-powered charging stations where electric car batteries can be charged.
Exploratory phase
Based on this promising potential, the Executive Council has decided to investigate the possibilities with the help of local and international experts and case studies, as well as with policy makers on the island. One of the focus points, for example, will be the impact of transitioning to electric transport on local gas stations and mechanics, and how to deal with that impact. Other points of interest are the consequences for the local fire departments, for example, as traffic collisions involving electric vehicles often require a different approach in comparison traditional vehicles, mainly due to the presence of the battery.
A local so-called E-Team will be leading the exploration of the possibilities for the promotion of electric transport in Bonaire. They are also in talks with the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, as the Executive Council of Bonaire would like to see the subsidies and initiatives that have been made available for the European Netherlands also made available for Bonaire and the rest of the Dutch Caribbean. With the Dutch Ministry supporting the efforts on the island, the development of electric and sustainable transport in the region could be accelerated considerably over the coming years.
The basis for this article was originally published on www.dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl in December 2021.
