Minister of Economic Development, Transport and Trade Mohamed Saeed has said today that the new Land Transport Act stipules the establishment of a separate transport office for the Male' area as it has been deemed the only viable fix for the traffic congestion issues in the capital. 

At a press briefing held at the President's Office today, Saeed announced that redevelopment of Male' roads to a modern standard will begin this year under aid from the government of China. As the roads are developed, a solution must also be found to traffic congestion, Saeed said. This, he added, is President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's vision, and the Male' is being made a registration controlled zone to achieve this goal. 

"It will be difficult to find a solution to Male's traffic issues unless the entirety of Male' is made into a registration controlled zone," Saeed said. 

Saeed shared that the Act had been drafted based on extensive discussions with many stakeholders, including members of the public, the business community, and several state institutions. He conceded that there had been differing opinions as the discussions involved such a large group of people. 

The objective of the Land Transport Act is to ensure the safety and security of the public, and declaring Male' a registration controlled zone contributes to this purpose, Saeed said. 

"At the beginning, the Male' area is being made into a registration controlled zone. This doesn't mean that vehicles can't be registered in this zone. It means that they can be registered, but within set standards. Everyone must have the spirit of doing things in an organized, set manner," Saeed said. 

Saeed went on to say that areas besides Male' can also be designated registration controlled zones. City Councils must express interest for this and propose it to the government, after which the necessary arrangements will be made, he said. 

As per the Land Transport Act passed by parliament last month, all transport-related matters in the capital will be overseen by a newly formed entity, the 'Greater Male' Transport and Mobility Office''.