The government’s planned taxi service, which was initially intended to launch in time for Eid al-Fitr, has been delayed but is now expected to begin within March, according to the Ministry of Transport.
A ministry official stated that although efforts were made to roll out the service during the Eid holidays, certain challenges caused delays. However, the service is now expected to officially launch before the end of this month.
The taxi line project is part of a broader government initiative, led by President Mohamed Muizzu, to improve the transport system in the Greater Malé area.
Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen had initially announced that the service would begin in early July of last year. The timeline was later revised to August, but both deadlines passed without a launch. Most recently, on the 4th of this month, the minister stated that efforts were underway to start operations by Eid.
To implement the service, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) and the Transport Ministry on February 15 of this year.
MTCC previously announced the recruitment of 407 drivers for the service, including 285 full-time drivers working eight hours a day, six days a week. Additionally, walk-in interviews were conducted on January 17 to recruit part-time drivers.
According to MTCC, the service will utilize environmentally friendly, 100% electric vehicles (EVs) and will operate 24 hours a day. A dedicated mobile application will allow customers to locate nearby taxis and track their locations in real time.
The taxi service aims to connect Malé, Hulhumalé, and Hulhulé, providing residents with a more reliable and affordable transportation option.
