Bus service to begin in Villimale as council plans to offer buggy
Mayor Mohamed Muizzu took to Twitter to slam the government for announcing the RTL bus service when the council was about to start the buggy service.
By
Aishath Fareeha Abdulla
Maldives Transport Link (RTL) bus service, using electric vehicles, is all set to begin in Villimale.
Government's RTL service provider MTCC announced on Tuesday the recruitment of drivers for Villimale bus services. In hiring staff, priority will be given to those residing in Villimale, the announcement said.
While the RTL bus service will be launched in Villimale, the Male City Council had decided to provide buggy services in the ward island and had started the process of procuring vehicles for the purpose. The council on Tuesday said the service will be rolled out early next month.
Here's what MTCC said:
-
Six eco-friendly EV buses to be used to shuttle in Villimale
-
The buses will have space for 15 passengers; 11 seats and four to stand
-
The service is set to start by the end of this month
-
RTL Villimale bus route and schedule to be made public soon
-
The main objective is to provide affordable public transport
While it was decided to start the EV service in Villimale, MTCC brought six EV buses with a seating capacity of 11 people to the Maldives in November.
Council to bring in 10 buggies this month
Following MTCC’s announcement, the Male City Council tweeted a video of the buggies to be brought to the Maldives.
According to the council, 10 buggies will be brought to Male by the end of this month to start the electric buggy service in Villimale. The service is expected to start early next month.
According to the council, the buggy service:
-
Two buggies designed to accommodate items like goods, luggage and boxes
-
One buggy where patients can travel in case of emergencies
-
Three four-seater buggies, three six-seater buggies and one with a seating capacity of 12
-
These are buggies designed to lengthen battery power for a long time and to suit the environment in Villimale
-
This is part of the council's strategic plan and was approved by the council last year.
Mayor Mohamed Muizzu took to Twitter to slam the government for announcing the RTL bus service when the council was about to start the buggy service. He said the people of Villimale "do not want public transport buses" to be shuttled in Villimale.
Muizzu said, "The council has completed all preparations to start the buggy service in accordance with the people's vision, and what the government is trying to do is an uncivilised act against the decentralization system."
