Thinking about electric mobility and the use of bicycles makes us look incredulous and look at the sky, because we think that we deserve an obsolete public transport system and all its actors.
We are badly used to outdated models. Our mind assumes that we deserve them and that’s why we don’t like the changes in the pit and we don’t want to accept them. With this of the commitments and goals of the last COP26 and the recent COP27 (Climate Change Summits) to speed up and take seriously the reduction of emissions and decarbonization, we do not see many suggestions viable, even worse if they are closely linked to models that are based on fossil fuels (their prices), hydrocarbons, etc.
Thinking about electric mobility and the use of the bicycle makes us look incredulous and look at the sky, because we think that we deserve an obsolete public transport system and all its actors; that we also deserve the unsustainable traffic that no longer allows for streets or roads in good condition, where the most viable solution is motorcycles and the third lane, and that we also deserve more accidents due to steering wheel abuse, drunkenness, more deaths and intolerance, the reckless drivers in the opposite direction, the intermittent officials in their passage through the Vice Ministry of Transportation, the lack of road policies and the vicious circle in the middle of the anarchic road jungle.
In some municipalities along the country’s coastline, to mention Concepción Batres, Jiquilisco, San Luis La Herradura, the quintessential means of mobilization is the bicycle, not now but for a long time. Each family in those places can have two or three bicycles. These municipalities are optimal for promoting cycle path circuits, since the population has become accustomed to the use of bicycles.
Decarbonization and transport must go hand in hand, because many companies try to bet on the use of renewables (which is fine) but neglect logistics and the uncontrolled use of fuel in shipments, distribution, exports, routes, etc. That generates a large emissions bill and in the end, by crossing themselves they end up scratching themselves.
The transformation No.5 suggested by the Inter-American Development Bank: Changing the transport of goods by rail, water and low or zero emission technologies from the document Carbon-free Prosperity is interesting and is intended for the evaluation of the public and private sector of facing the future of decarbonization.
Freight transport is equivalent to 7% of total CO2 emissions globally. The document suggests the electrification of transport, in the case of maritime transport, futuristic flashes of ammonia, methane and hydrogen can already be contemplated to replace diesel.
The commitment to transport fleets powered by electricity and hydrogen, including public transport, are part of the alternatives to guide our region towards decarbonization. Freight transport entrepreneurs must take these suggestions seriously before they are caught by surprise, or in a curve, and on their own initiative and that of their business groups, soak up the subject, commit and evolve; Don’t cling to outdated and backward models. Ideal will be to implement electric cargo trains, for the transport of merchandise at a regional level, which are subject to schedules and synchrony, despite the fact that in our country the Pacific Train is more a promise than a reality, if our country would be complying with the suggestions of international organizations and complying with the commitments to reduce emissions, but it is still in an incubation phase.
Another sector that must be linked to this transformation No.5 of the IDB is the industrial sector, the trade union, since it is part of these development projects and futuristic vision of zero emissions. They should promote more information on this subject and more contribution to it with their members, on evaluation and investment in maritime, fluvial and rail transport, generate interconnection (infrastructure) to the most important industrial plants. The ideal would be to gradually reduce the use of road transport.
Protests and political instability are part of the weaknesses and threats to freight transport in the region, such as the recent blockade of this means of transport in Guatemala, and which is part of the obsolete and backward model that (we unconsciously think) we deserve to have and that revolves around in the obsolete model based on dependence on fossil fuels. Please let’s take the issue of decarbonization seriously, let’s overcome the resistance to wanting to understand it.