To make the roads of Malé and Hulhumalé a convenient and safe place for pedestrians as well as vehicle drivers, the government has set specific hours during which goods-transporting and heavy vehicles cannot be driven, and implementation began today.
In the announcement made by the Transport Ministry, specific hours during which driving such vehicles on certain roads is prohibited were included. According to that notice, driving vehicles over 350 kg or heavy vehicles ranging from small pickup size and above is almost completely prohibited in Malé and Hulhumalé during specific hours.
They are:
- From 6:00 AM to 8:30 AM, driving vehicles over 350 kg and heavy vehicles such as forklifts, trucks, cranes, and trailers on certain roads is prohibited. Driving such vehicles during that time is prohibited on all roads in Malé except Boduthakurufaanu Magu, on the roads of Hulhumalé, and on the Sinamalé Bridge and Highway.
- From 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, driving vehicles over 350 kg and heavy vehicles such as forklifts, trucks, cranes, and trailers on certain roads is prohibited. During those hours as well, driving such vehicles is prohibited on all roads in Malé except Boduthakurufaanu Magu, on the roads of Hulhumalé, and on the Sinamalé Bridge and Highway.
"Therefore, drivers of such vehicles are requested to respect the above-mentioned hours. And we also inform that action will be taken against parties who violate this announcement under Law No. 16/2026 (Land Transport Act)," the announcement said.
Previously as well, the government prohibited driving heavy vehicles on the roads of Malé during specific hours. However, at a certain point, that was permitted again.
The issue of heavy vehicles driving in Malé, Hulhumalé, and on the Sinamalé Bridge during times when schools and offices start has grown significantly, and public complaints have been sharply increasing for many days.
