More than 300,000 taxis are a permanent feature in Lima, the capital of Peru. They offer a quick and affordable way to get around. However, the taxi sector faces two challenges. Firstly, taxi drivers have limited access to the finance to buy a car. Secondly, most of the current taxi fleet consists of older, polluting cars, 30% of the taxis are over 15 years old and need to be replaced according to municipal regulations.

Financial institution Acceso Crediticio (Acceso) addresses both these challenges. How? By providing loans for taxis that are powered by more environmentally friendly compressed natural gas (CNG).

The majority of Acceso’s clients are independent taxi drivers, living on low incomes with limited options to own their vehicles. CNG-based vehicles also provide a cleaner and more efficient alternative to fossil fuel-powered taxis. Acceso directly contributes to a reduction in the number of polluting cars in Lima, and lower CO2 emissions because CNG-based vehicles emit 25% less CO2 compared to vehicles running on diesel.