Male council to open public consultation on vehicle reduction

Male’ City Council has decided to open a two-week public consultation on a proposed plan to reduce the number of vehicles in the city.

The decision was made during a council meeting held Wednesday, where members agreed to publish a report outlining the proposed maximum number of vehicles to be allowed in the city and to invite public feedback on the matter.

Galolhu North Councillor Saif Fathih, who attended the meeting, referred to a report prepared by the Islamic University of Maldives recommending a 25 percent reduction in the current number of vehicles operating in Male’. According to the report, there are presently 199,472 registered vehicles in the city, while existing road and infrastructure capacity can accommodate only 89,000 vehicles.

Saif raised concerns about the challenges a sudden reduction in vehicle numbers could cause, especially given the current state of the public transportation system.

“If we are suddenly making such a dramatic reduction, it will cause huge difficulties to the public, and the public transport system in the city is not mature enough. So I think we need to come up with a plan with the public in mind,” he said.

Mayor Adam Azim also noted the need for a structured plan and stated that public consultation would help in developing a practical approach to address the issue.

The council aims to address ongoing parking shortages and improve the city's transport system through this initiative. The report is scheduled to be published tomorrow, with members of the public given until the end of the two-week consultation period to submit comments.