Transport Authority proposes to restrict number of vehicles in Mal

Transport Authority has proposed to Ministry of Economic Development to establish a policy to restrict the number of vehicles allowed in Malé to 30,000.

Chairman of Transport Authority Abdul Rasheed Nafiz told Sun Online that the number of vehicles in Malé presently exceeds 50,000, and reducing the number to 30,000 would solve the problem of congestion.

He said that it would also make things easier for pedestrians and bus services, and solve parking problems.

Present total parking space in Malé amounts to 1.5 metres per vehicle, and the authority hopes to increase this to 2 metres per vehicle, said Nafiz.

According to the Land Transport Act, Transport Authority has the authority to determine the number of vehicles allowed in specific regions.

Thus far, no such restrictions have been imposed.

Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed told Sun Online today that since work is ongoing to construct a bridge between Malé and Hulhulé, more research is required before controlling the number of vehicles in this region.

Police Chief Station Inspector Ahmed Sujau said that the first step towards establishing order on the streets of Malé, is reducing the number of vehicles.

He said that a limit also needs to be set on the number of years vehicles are allowed to operate.

Parking has become a challenge for vehicle owners following the increase in the number of vehicles in Malé. It also causes traffic congestion and problems for pedestrians.