Government plans to cancel reserved parking spaces

The Ministry of Transport has instructed the City Council to cancel all parking spaces currently rented out on the streets of the city.

According to Mayor Adam Azim, this decision follows a directive from the government to make all street-side parking for four-wheel vehicles publicly accessible, meaning no spaces will be reserved.

“The Council has been told not to renew any existing parking space leases beyond this month and to stop leasing out new ones,” Mayor Azim told Miharu.

He added, “We will notify the public soon. Starting from the last week of this month, all street parking for four-wheelers will be open to everyone. No spaces will be reserved.”

Currently, the City Council has leased out about 1,000 parking slots to private vehicle owners and taxi operators. Rental rates vary for private cars for MVR 1,500 and taxis for MVR 700.

Limited parking space has long been a major issue in the city, with many residents regularly voicing their frustration. During his presidential campaign, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu also promised a solution to the city’s growing parking challenges, including stopping the practice of ticketing vehicles without clearly designated parking spots.

This new policy is seen as a step toward easing the city’s parking woes by giving equal access to all drivers.