Attorney General Ahmed Usham said the Male' City Council was no longer receiving annual vehicle fees because the council had not used the revenue effectively to repair roads and address traffic problems in the capital.

Usham made the remarks last night while appearing alongside Defence Minister Hassan Rasheed and Economic Minister at the eighth episode of the Ahaa Forum, organized by state broadcaster PSM.

A member of the public asked why the government, which has pledged to strengthen decentralization, had reduced the revenue received by Male' City Council from vehicle fees under the new Road Traffic Act, describing the move as a major obstacle to decentralization.

In response, Usham said the condition of roads and traffic congestion were among the biggest concerns of Male' residents.

He said the public did not believe sufficient efforts had been made to address traffic problems in Male' and that the government had introduced the new law to tackle the issue.

One of the key provisions of the new law is the establishment of a Road Safety Council comprising the Transport, Homeland and Housing ministers, the attorney general and the commissioner of police, he said.

Usham said a separate chapter had been included in the law for Male' because traffic problems were most severe in the capital.

He said annual vehicle fees collected in Male' and other parts of the country should be used to address road-related problems.

“We will spend the money to solve road traffic problems. For example, to find the necessary resources for police and to resolve various issues on the roads in Male',” Usham said.

He said vehicle fees collected in Male' would be deposited into a separate fund and could only be used to address road-related problems in the capital.

“That’s not what Male' City Council has been using the money for all this time. When we look at the roads, it is very clear that the money from the registration fees has not really been used to repair and maintain the roads,” Usham said.

Male' City Mayor Adam Azim, however, has said the council’s loss of vehicle fee revenue would cause “irreparable damage” to services provided to Male' residents.

In a post on X last month, Azim said the revenue from vehicle fees had been used for essential services, including road repairs, mosque maintenance, floodwater drainage, emergency assistance during disasters and street cleaning.

Under the new Road Traffic Act, annual vehicle fees collected in Male' will instead be transferred to the Greater Male' Transport and Mobility Office, established under the Ministry of Transport to oversee road traffic-related matters in the capital.