Transport Ministry has released new taxi fares for four wheeled vehicles and allowed an extra charge between MVR 10-15 for trips to the the VIA domestic terminal.
Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has determined new fares for four wheeled taxi services within the Male' region and issued permission to charge an additional fee between MVR 10-15 from passengers for trips to the Velana International Airport (VIA)'s domestic terminal. These new taxi fares are set to be implemented starting May 20.
Amid this time when taxi drivers have been extracting higher fees than authorized by the ministry from passengers, the government revised and published the official fare amounts which the Ministry assured was set in consideration of the passengers, taxi drivers, route distance and petrol expenses.
The new fares decreed over vehicles with less than six seats state that trips inside the zone (Male', Hulhumale' and Hulhumale' Phase 2) will warrant a fee of MVR 30. While trips between Male' and Phase 1 of Hulhumale' is set a fare of MVR 85, MVR 100 has been determined for trips between Male' City and Hulhumale' Phase 2. Moreover, trips outside the zone in Hulhumale' (Phase 1 to Phase 2) is extracted a fee of MVR 40.
Additionally, taxi fares to the Velana International Airport has also observed some revision in the recently published price details. Taxi trips between the airport and Male' City are determined a fee of MVR 70 while traveling in-between the airport and Hulhumale' Phase 1 will warrant a fee of MVR 80. Trips between the airport and Hulhumale' Phase 2 has been set a price of MVR 85.
The Ministry has allowed drivers to charge an additional fee of MVR 10 for trips to the Domestic Terminal of the airport. This comes at a time when drivers are charging different fares for trips to this terminal following the permit issued by MACL to allow drivers to travel further from the previous limit of the international airport to the domestic airport on December 10 last year. Drivers explained that their reason for charging their own additional fee for the trip is due to the longer distance required to be covered in the route determined for taxis.
In addition to vehicles with less than 6 seaters, the Ministry has also released new fares for four wheeled vehicles with 7-10 passenger seats. The announcement by the Ministry detailed that that 7-10 seater vehicles are allowed to charge an additional fee of MVR 15 for trips to the Domestic Airport with a further amount of MVR 5 permitted to be charged for each luggage exceeding the newly set limit of three.
- MVR 45 for trips inside the zone (Male', Hulhumale' Phase 1 and Hulhumale' Phase 2)
- MVR 130 for trips between Male' and Phase 1 of Hulhumale'
- MVR 155 for trips between Male' and Phase 2 of Hulhumale'
- MVR 60 for trips between Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Hulhumale'
- MVR 110 for trips between VIA and Male'
- MVR 125 for trips between VIA and Phase 1 of Hulhumale'
- MVR 130 for trips between VIA and Phase 2 of Hulhumale'
The Transport Ministry has assured that the Ministry, in collaboration with the Maldives Police Service will assess whether taxi services are conducted in compliance with the new fares. They added that efforts are being made to affix a board displaying taxi fare charges at the airport together with the Maldives Airport Limited.