Amendments brought to regulations to register taxi centers

The government today brought further amendments to the Taxi Regulations, deciding to provide eases in the registration of taxi centers.

In a statement regarding the amendments to the regulations, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said these changes were introduced to strengthen the land transport system and to provide easier methods for service providers and drivers.

The main changes brought to the regulations are:

The Ministry stated that if a company is providing transportation services, it must henceforth ensure that the activity is included in the company's mandate.

Additionally, the Ministry said it would now be mandatory for companies providing taxi services to register and obtain permits in accordance with the regulations.

"The main goal of all these changes is to establish a reliable and modern taxi system in the Maldives that benefits both passengers and service providers," the Ministry said.

As preparations continue to launch the government's taxi line service, work has now begun to find the drivers required for the service. The government decided to start a taxi business because, despite having around 1,500 cars registered for taxi service, the public faces difficulties in obtaining the service, and to bring a solution to that issue.

Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen previously stated that 100 cars would be brought into service initially. The Minister said that a positive change would come because of it and that those taxis would also include small taxis that can enter narrow lanes.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the government's taxi line service will start early this year.