Police said that vehicles parked for more than seven days can be towed, regardless of whether they are in a parking zone.
The issue of a motorcycle being towed from a parking zone has escalated after the vehicle's owner claimed he was not informed of the towing.
Police, however, said that vehicles left in parking zones for more than seven days are subject to towing.
The owner of the motorcycle, who had traveled abroad after parking his vehicle, told Mihaaru News that he found his motorcycle had been towed through people living in the area.
He said that his main concern was that he had not been informed by authorities before his motorcycle was removed.
At the tow yard, the individual was told that the police are authorized to tow vehicles parked in the same zone for over seven days, even in designated parking areas, and that the regulation does not require notifying the owner.
The individual retrieved his motorcycle 55 days after it had been towed. He added that the vehicle had been severely damaged, missing its side mirror and with paint peeling off in several areas and visible corrosion.
Police regulations stipulate that towed vehicles may be destroyed if left unclaimed for 60 days.
Police spokesperson Ahmed Shifan speaking with Mihaaru News said that under these regulations, vehicles parked for more than seven days can be towed, regardless of whether they are in a parking zone.
Police recently destroyed 22 motorcycles as part of an ongoing effort to reduce congestion and organize the streets of Male'. The list of destroyed vehicles were later published on the Maldives gazette.
Police, in collaboration with Male' City Council, have also been removing abandoned vehicles from the streets. However, there remains some ambiguity around how police determine whether a vehicle has been left or abandoned in parking zones for long durations.
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