Reducing Emissions from Taxis in the Galapagos Islands Using a Mobile Phone Application

The Galapagos Islands typically use diesel-fueled trucks as taxis. The emissions from these vehicles can have a profoundly deleterious effect on the pristine environment of the Galapagos Islands. Working with the local municipality on Santa Cruz Island, a solution to better understand how to optimize taxi journeys on the island was considered. The developed solution was to mandate a mobile phone application that could collect data while taxi drivers were on drives to track their key routes and hours in service. The mobile application developed employs GPS tracking plus data input by the driver for number of passengers transported, cargo transported, etc. using a user-friendly interface. This mobile application will be implemented in a pilot study for a few taxis on Santa Cruz Island in May 2024 and will be used to inform route optimization planning and resource allocation.