Govt taxi app expected to launch in 2 weeks
Claims on social media alleged that a contract worth MVR 13 million had been awarded without a competitive bidding process.
Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed said on Thursday that the mobile application for the government-operated taxi service has received approval from the App Store and is expected to become available within this week or next week.
Speaking at a press conference held at the President's Office, Saeed cited information provided by Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), which operates the taxi service.
The government taxi service was launched on 2 April. At the start of operations, bookings were handled through a hotline before MTCC later introduced a web portal for reservations.
Saeed said the number of passengers using the service has continued to increase on a daily basis and noted that MTCC is working to improve operations alongside rising demand.
He said the launch of a mobile application is necessary to improve access and booking efficiency for users.
According to figures shared by MTCC:
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the average waiting time between booking and vehicle arrival is 8.4 minutes;
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the average trip duration is 12.2 minutes;
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11,128 trips were completed between 13 and 18 April, representing a 50% increase in usage since the service began; and
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7,251 trips were recorded between 18 April and 1 May after the web portal was introduced.
Before the launch of the application, allegations circulated regarding the procurement process linked to its development. Claims on social media alleged that a contract worth MVR 13 million had been awarded without a competitive bidding process.
MTCC has not publicly responded to the allegations.
Earlier, President Mohamed Muizzu said he was not aware of any specific allegations of corruption related to development of the “Male’ Taxi” application.
The President said he had been informed about technical and performance issues involving the original application and added that the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation had been instructed to oversee the project and address any irregularities if identified.
He also stated that the government would not tolerate actions involving unlawful influence or violations of procedures and said delays affecting service delivery should be resolved without delay.
“I have been informally briefed that work on a dedicated application is currently underway. We are committed to ensuring this process proceeds correctly and as swiftly as possible. I assure you that we will not permit any actions that circumvent established regulations or involve undue influence,” the President said.
