Public parking spaces in Male opened after cancellation of rental scheme
The decision was taken after the Attorney General’s Office advised that renting out public street parking spaces for four-wheelers was unlawful.
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The Malé City Council on Wednesday announced that all previously rented parking slots on the streets of the capital have been cancelled and opened for public use, following an order from the Ministry of Transport.
The change means that from Wednesday, members of the public may park in any designated parking space, except those marked for specific purposes.
According to the Transport Ministry, the decision was taken after the Attorney General’s Office advised that renting out public street parking spaces for four-wheelers was unlawful. The ministry also noted that the limited availability of road space in Malé required such spaces to remain accessible to the wider public.
The rental scheme was introduced during the tenure of current President Mohamed Muizzu when he served as Mayor of Malé. Under the system, the council rented nearly 1,000 parking slots to individuals, companies, and taxi operators. Rates were set at MVR 650 per month for taxis, MVR 1,500 for private cars, and MVR 3,000 for companies.
While the slots were initially opened for lease to regulate parking, concerns were raised that spaces commonly used by motorbike riders had been reallocated under the scheme.
