TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – As the government has set 2030 as the deadline for the electrification of city buses, the Highway Bureau plans to train 1,170 experts in EV repair over the next six years, reports said Wednesday (Oct. 23).

Taiwan also wants all private cars and scooters to run on electricity by 2040, with the zero-emission level to be reached in 2050. The campaigns have triggered a rising demand for technical staff versed in repairing electric engines.

According to the Highway Bureau, Taiwan counted 1,925 electric buses at the end of September, per CNA. Because of the shortage of specialized staff, any bus needing fixes had to be returned to the factory, where repairs took at least a week.

Under a new program this year, the Highway Bureau trained 60 repair specialists, with the number gradually increasing to 1,170 after six years. The aim is to reach a proportion of one expert per 10 electric buses.

The bureau estimates the cost of the training program at NT$110 million (US$3.43 million), but participating bus companies can send their staff to participate free of charge.