Govt plans city-wide traffic monitoring center in Male’ as accidents rise

The government has decided to develop a traffic monitoring center capable of monitoring traffic in the entire greater Male’ region, says Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed.

The decision was announced by Saeed during a press briefing at the President’s Office on Wednesday morning on recent amendments to the Land Transport Act.

Saeed told reporters that one of the biggest initiatives that will be rolled out under the new amendments is to establish a city-wide traffic monitoring center in Male’.

He said that the government will be seeking international financial assistance, if necessary, in order to implement the project.

“One of the biggest initiatives under this is to establish a modern traffic center that can monitor traffic in the entire Male’, a traffic center that can monitor traffic in real-time,” he said.

“Carrying this out, even if by securing foreign assistance, is one of the key priority areas identified by the government.”

Saeed said the government also plans to deploy police officers armed with modern equipment to monitor and redirect traffic in specific roads.

He also announced plans to further amend the law in order to digitalize all traffic-related matters as much as possible.

The recent amendments to the Land Transport Act introduces fines for jaywalking, and came amid a rise in in road accidents in the capital in recent weeks. This includes one on August 29, that resulted in the death of a nine-year-old girl. A second accident the very next day resulted in serious injuries to a 62-year-old man and his 24-year-old son.