Mini bus service: Land allocated to move parking zones in key streets

The government has allocated land to relocate parking zones in some of the streets of Male’ City in order to clear the streets to start mini bus service.

Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC)’s CEO Adam Azim recently complained of lack of cooperation from Male’ City Council to make the necessary arrangements, including clearing parking zones in some of the streets, in order to start the service.

Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh responded that the city council needed to be allocated land to relocate the parking zones in order to clear the streets.

“The council has told them there’s no way we can clear the parking zones without showing people somewhere else to park their vehicles. There’s already no space in those streets for additional parking,” he said.

Nareesh told Sun on Monday afternoon that the Planning Ministry had now allocated land to make parking zones.

“The government listened to what the city council had to say. The government has addressed the concerns from the council and has now allocated land through the Planning Ministry to build parking zones,” he said.

Nareesh said the Planning Ministry would send detailed information regarding the land later Monday.

He said that once the parking zones are relocated, parking will be banned in streets where bus stops for mini buses are built.

Despite the many challenges it poses, the goal of the city council is to provide the service to the best of their abilities, he said.

The shipment of 32 mini buses needed to start the service arrived in Male’ early July. It includes 12 buses for Male’ and 24 for the atolls.

MTCC states mini buses will be available every 10 minutes.