Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen announced that the ministry is preparing amendments to the Land Transport Act to tackle vehicle congestion.
Speaking in parliament on October 27, Minister Ameen said the ministry is working with the Attorney General to find a legal solution for vehicle limits, including company-owned registrations. Currently, the law leaves it to councils to set caps on the number of vehicles in a particular island or city. He said the efforts to resolve the issue with the Male’ City Council have so far been unsuccessful. The proposed amendments are expected to be ready in two to three weeks for parliamentary submission.
Minister Ameen also addressed delays in parking infrastructure projects in Male’ and Hulhumale’. He said handovers to contractors for the construction of parking buildings will occur within the next month. In October 2024, the ministry signed an agreement with the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to build 15 parking facilities in the Greater Male’ Region, providing 4,000 parking spaces. The buildings will include 3,920 car spaces and 3,426 motorcycle spaces, with 90 percent of parking to be sold via auction and 10 percent to be reserved for visitors.
Highlighting progress made, Minister Ameen noted that vehicle registrations in the Male’ region have fallen by 74 percent compared to 2023, and assured that illegal registrations will be prevented. He emphasised that managing the growing number of vehicles remains a priority alongside infrastructure development.
