- The People's Majlis passed the government-sponsored Land Transport Bill with 47 votes, establishing a modernised framework to regulate ground transportation, improve mobility, and enforce stricter safety standards.
- The law designates the transport ministry as the governing body, mandates a Road Safety and Traffic Management Advisory Committee, and introduces automatic license suspension for unpaid fines reaching MVR 5,000 plus a demerit point system.
- Committee amendments impose a 20-year vehicle lifespan cap, update international driving permit rules, and create a Greater Male Transport and Mobility Office to address capital congestion.
The People’s Majlis has passed the Land Transport Bill, introducing a modernised legal framework to regulate ground transportation, improve public mobility services, and enforce stricter safety standards across the Maldives.
Kurendhoo Constituency Member of Parliament Mohamed Shamin Habib submitted the government-sponsored bill, which secured parliamentary approval with 47 members voting in favour.
The primary objective of the new legislation is to establish a comprehensive structure to plan, manage, and monitor the nation’s land transport network. Government rationale highlights the necessity of updating regulatory mechanisms to safeguard vehicle drivers, passengers, and pedestrian road users.
To ensure continuous operational oversight, the bill designates the transport ministry as the main governing body and mandates the formation of a dedicated Road Safety and Traffic Management Advisory Committee to guide ministerial policy. Authorities must also formulate and implement a National Strategy for Land Transport under the new law.
The statute details formal requirements for registering land vehicles, issuing driving licenses, regulating public transport services, and defining parking and vehicle usage rules. It explicitly outlines the legal enforcement powers granted to authorities alongside penalties for regulatory breaches. Under the updated system, officials hold the authority to suspend licenses for statutory violations. Furthermore, any driver accumulating unpaid fees or traffic fines reaching or exceeding 5,000 Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) will face automatic license suspension. The legislation additionally introduces a point-based demerit system to track and penalise repeat traffic offenders.
Moreover, international driving rules have been updated under the approved legislation. Authorities will now issue International Driving Permits for local motorists traveling abroad. Additionally, foreign visitors or residents holding a valid driving license from any country signatory to international traffic conventions can legally drive in the Maldives without obtaining an additional local license.
Parliament approved the bill with several significant amendments introduced by the Committee on National Development and Heritage. Key among these modifications is a statutory vehicle lifespan cap, which restricts the operational life of standard land vehicles to 20 years from their date of manufacture, excluding specific vehicle categories exempted under statutory regulations. To address localized congestion and infrastructure challenges in the capital region, committee amendments also mandate the establishment of a Greater Male Transport and Mobility Office, granting the entity specific operational powers to plan and execute transport operations across the Greater Male area.
