China-funded Malé road development project to begin this year
Studies required for the project’s designs were carried out in June and July, he said.
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Work on a China-assisted project to upgrade roads in Malé is expected to begin this year, with the government aiming to ease traffic congestion through road improvements and tighter vehicle registration controls, Economic Development, Trade and Transport Minister Mohamed Saeed said on Wednesday.
The project to modernise roads in Malé and Villimalé was agreed during President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to China in 2024.
Speaking at a press conference at the President’s Office, Saeed said all roads in Malé would be upgraded under the project. He said the improvements, together with other transport measures, were expected to help address traffic congestion in the capital.
Studies required for the project’s designs were carried out in June and July, he said.
Under the project, roads in Malé and Villimalé will be resurfaced, while water, sewerage and electricity infrastructure will also be upgraded. Fire hydrant and stormwater drainage systems will also be established.
Saeed said road upgrades alone would not provide a complete solution to traffic congestion and that the wider Malé area would need to operate as a vehicle registration-controlled zone.
He said recent amendments to the Land Transport Act were introduced as part of efforts to establish such a system.
“The overall major change is that this law will pave the way for the safety and security of the general public. The whole design of the law is centred on public safety. That is the vision,” Saeed said.
He said designation as a registration-controlled zone would not mean that vehicles could no longer be registered in Malé.
“It does not mean that registration will not be allowed in the zone. It means registration will be carried out according to specified criteria and under a particular system,” he said.
Recent changes to the Land Transport Act include a separate chapter governing vehicle registration in the Greater Malé area.
Under the law, a quota can be set for new vehicle registrations in the area, with the number of vehicles newly registered not exceeding 30 per cent of the number of vehicle registrations cancelled.
