Dreams Revived: RTL Ferry Becomes a Lifeline

There’s a quiet kind of transformation that has happened in the northern atolls of the Maldives. It doesn’t make headlines every day, and it’s rarely featured in tourist snapshots. But for people living across the scattered islands of Haa Alif, Haa Dhaal, and Shaviyani, the most developed zone under the Raajje Transport Link (RTL), the high-speed ferry network has become more than a way to get around. It has become a vital lifeline.

To understand the value of RTL, one must first grasp the geography of the Maldives. This nation of 1,192 islands, 187 of them inhabited, is nestled across the vast Indian Ocean like scattered dots. Many islands are home to only a few hundred people.

Although the ocean surrounds them and supports them, Maldivians have historically avoided sea travel when possible. It was expensive, unpredictable, and during rough weather, traveling was very dangerous. Traditionally, inter-island travel relied on whatever was available, small boats, slow ferries, or costly private speedboats. Hence, life on the outer islands continued to be self-contained, quietly shaped by isolation.

Until fifteen years ago, the idea of an affordable ferry system seemed far-fetched. Then in 2009, a newly elected government pledged to connect the islands through sea transport. By 2011, a functioning system was in place, praised as one of that government’s most successful efforts.

Yet within six years, that system had nearly disappeared. Though the reason for the dereliction is unknown, many cite political instability, an unsustainable financing model, and failure to integrate the network into national development plans as possible reasons. Efforts to revive it were patchy and quite unsuccessful.

But by then people had seen what was possible. They knew that an affordable transport system was possible. They wanted the maritime transport network back. By then it dawned on them that affordable travel was a right that they were entitled to.

This need was recognized by the government. In 2019, the National Spatial Plan named an integrated transport network a national priority. The Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure began working on a new maritime concept. Although feasibility studies were completed and funding approved by early 2020, the project was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After a long hiatus, finally in mid-2022, the first phase of the Integrated National Public Ferry Network (INPFN) launched in Zone 1. Operated by the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), RTL ferries began serving the 41 inhabited islands of Haa Alif, Haa Dhaal, and Shaviyani.

The design of the high-ferry was thorough: 48-seat fiberglass vessels with air conditioning, onboard toilets, reclining seats, and wheelchair access. But the real game-changer was the schedule, daily round trips between islands and their respective hub islands. This dependable rhythm has reshaped everyday life for people in Zone 1 for the past three years.

Today Zone 1 has become the model for what a connected Maldives could look like.

Take Hanifa, a mother from Hdh. Makunudhoo as an example of someone who reaps benefits from this system. Thanks to RTL, she can now take her elderly father to Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital and return the same day. It used to be a costly overnight trip, accommodation plus transport hire costing Mrf 4000 one way. Today there is a dependable transport that she can rely on for this very basic need.

Nareema and her cousins, college students in Kulhudhuffushi, travel to Sh. Bilehfahi on weekends to visit family. Their host families in Kulhudhufushi often join on these trips for beach days. All of them loves to feast on lobster on the idyllic beaches of Bilehfahi. Before RTL, the locals could not even put their head around the fact that such social mingling trips were possible.

Idhreesbe, a shopkeeper in Ha. Uligamu, now gets regular visits from his daughter and grandchildren living in Ha. Filladhoo. What more can a grandparent want than to be part of their grandchildren’s lives at old age?

In many ways communities have started thriving in more ways than they could have anticipated. Local councils report on increased business activity and foot traffic. Cafes and guesthouses in hub islands see life floursih. Some non-centric islands are emerging as local hubs themselves, gaining their own kind of popularity with time.

What Zone 1 enjoys is what other islands now hope for. But building a national ferry system is no small feat. It is a complex process that requires sustained effort and coordination.

There are so many things that need attention as the newly established system is aiming for stability. Recently, ferry terminals fell into disrepair and concerns were raised about the poor service. As a solution in April this year, an agreement was signed to transfer terminal management of 27 terminals, and attached commercial spaces to local councils. This move creates more accountability due to local ownership and as well as the possibility of creating new revenue streams for the islands. With this new change we can expect better serviced terminals in the future.

The most pressing issue now is the delayed delivery of new ferries. Such delays cause unforeseen setbacks in meeting commencement goals. Such issues are being tackled, and negotiations are being carried out every day to fix these.

A maritime transport system like these needs supporting services placed strategically in locations to cater to its demands. Ferries might break down, need service, and need engine replacements among other things. It is reassuring that under this new system there are plans underway to bolster regional maintenance capacity so any emergency or scheduled maintenance service can be addressed quickly.

Throughout all this, the government’s efforts are focused on ensuring affordability and sustainability. They continue to seek ways to keep costs down without compromising the quality.

Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MOTCA) as the parent body of RTL services, continues to oversee the project with diligence. They continue to meet MTCC weekly to monitor operations and to ensure that regulations are followed and quality maintained. MOTCA’s steady hand through all of this is noteworthy. The agency takes pride in what’s been achieved and continues to achieve. And why not? The transformation that is taking place in the island communities are observable. Their satisfaction is measurable.

On a bright note, on May 18th, 2025, India has granted MVR 100 million to support the RTL expansion. According to the Maldivian Foreign Ministry, this will fund 13 projects aimed at expanding the network and enhancing community livelihoods.

Today, RTL operates in nine atolls—Ha, Hdh, Sh, N, Lh, Ga, Gdh, Gn, and S—serving 84 islands, including three with airports. Twenty-seven high-speed ferries are in operation in these atolls. By the end of this year every effort has been invested to achieve nationwide coverage.

The RTL system, with its commute, non-commute, and highway links, continues to serve this nation, empowering community after community. It’s now the predominant method of accessing health, education, work, and family for the recipients of this service.

What’s truly remarkable isn’t just the connectivity. It’s the vision that keeps unfolding in more magnificent ways than anyone could have imagined. In a country where the sea divides as much as it connects, RTL is redefining what it means to be linked.

In the end success is measured by the overall happiness of a society. It’s the stories of touched lives that count. The stories of the daily journeys that have been made possible, the reunions that continue to take place, the renewed livelihoods that continue to prosper. The connections that have been made that were once thought impossible! For a nation once separated by sea, today the sea brings us closer. RTL is not just a transport success. It’s a milestone achieved; a true national story worth passing on.