President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has made the decision to forgive outstanding parking fines accumulated from 2018 to 2023.
The official statement issued by the President's Office said that President Solih's decision to forgive parking fines was a response to several factors, including complaints about escalating fines due to a lack of available parking spaces, a continual increase in the number of fines issued each year, and the mounting unpaid fines exacerbated by the financial difficulties stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Therefore, the government has introduced an exemption from the payment of parking fines with the exception of traffic violations. The forgiveness of fines will be contingent upon the completion of a training programme specific to the type of violation. It includes offenses such as driving without a license in possession, driving with a lost, expired, or damaged license, and operating a vehicle without the appropriate class of driver's license.
The length of the training programme will be determined by the magnitude of the fine. The training sessions will be conducted by the Maldives Police Service (MPS) and will span a duration ranging from two weeks to one month. The primary objective of this initiative is to diminish the recurrence of such violations by educating traffic offenders. It is expected that this effort will enhance public awareness of traffic regulations and other important societal matters.