Kudagiri free on holidays; MVR 50 per person on weekdays
The Housing Development Corporation's (HDC) application titled 'Kudagiri Picnic Island' can now be downloaded from Google Play and App Store.
By
Aminath Shifleen
Picnic Island, Kudagiri, which is all set to open on Saturday, will be free of cost on public holidays, while MVR 25 for the ferry and MVR 50 as entrance fee will be charged on all other days, according to Vice President Faisal Naseem.
Faisal visited Kudagiri on Wednesday, where the latest preparations are underway. While in the island, he said the government's aim was to provide services at as low a cost as possible.
Faisal said:
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Free travel to Kudagiri on weekends and public holidays; no fare will be charged for ferry or embarking on the island
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Ferry tickets to Kudagiri on non-holiday days are being sold at MVR 25 per person
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The 'entrance fee' for reaching the island on non-holiday days is MVR 50
The Vice President said that only Maldivians can use the island during holidays. He, however, added that the migrant labourers who are employed with local households can travel with the family.
A mobile application has been released for K. Kudagiri, which has been developed for people living in Male to go on picnics.
The Housing Development Corporation's (HDC) application titled 'Kudagiri Picnic Island' can now be downloaded from Google Play and App Store.
After registering on the app:
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Anyone can book a journey
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Can check a chart containing information about the island
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In case of emergency while in Kudagiri, the app has features to SOS
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Check the number of days and space available to travel
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The app also has a guide that includes weather information and activities in Kudagiri
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According to the app, there is space for 500 people to travel to Kudagiri every day
Kudagiri is the island that the interim government had pledged to provide for the capital city residents to fill the void created by former President Mohamed Waheed's administration when Kuda Bandos was leased for tourism development. In order to fulfil that promise, the government first decided to declare K. Enboodhoo as a picnic island, which is one of the islands that had been reclaimed for the crossroads project and remained unused.
However, due to delay in construction of the island at crossroads due to various reasons, the project to acquire land from Kudagiri lagoon was handed over to MTCC. Though a picnic island has been built in Kudagiri, the government has said that a similar island will also be developed in Enboodhoo.
