Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has stated that cabinet ministers will soon discuss proposals to control the number of vehicles in Male’ City.
Speaking to PSM News, Deputy Minister of Transport Hamad Abdul Ghanee said the government is working to solve the issue of traffic congestion in the capital city but that limiting the number of vehicle imports would cause further problems if the residents do not have other means of transport. He said the transport ministry will soon be submitting proposals to solve the issue and that the cabinet ministers will deliberate and make a decision on the matter.
Additionally, Deputy Minister Ghanee said the Decentralisation Act has given authority to the Male’ City Council to set a limit on the number of vehicles and the duration in which the vehicles can be used. He noted that the city council has yet to submit a land master plan and set a limit but that the ministry is working with the city council to solve the issue, adding the Raajje Transport Link (RTL) minibus service will also contribute to the reduction of traffic congestion. He highlighted that more and more residents are using the service, which will result in fewer people using motorcycles. He detailed that over 120,000 passengers have used the service since September 5.
Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has decided to allow residents to use the minibus service free of charge for two more weeks to allow residents more time to familiarise themselves with the minibus service and the RTL web portal and mobile application. After two weeks, passengers will be able to book tickets using the RTL web portal, with tickets priced at USD0.45. The amount is significantly cheaper than the taxi fare in Male’, which is USD1.94. However, school students, disabled persons, senior citizens, and children under three years of age will still be able to travel on the minibuses free of charge.