Overseas expertise will be sought in an effort to solve the traffic congestion in Malé, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has confirmed.

Speaking at a press conference regarding the ministry’s milestones within the past 40 days since the Mohamed Muizzu administration took office, the Minister said that, in order to solve traffic congestion in the Maldives, especially in the Malé area, both short and long-term solutions would be identified.

Ameen said a comprehensive audit would be conducted to understand the problem as a large number of road vehicles are being registered in the country. As such, the administration had decided to seek the assistance of foreign experts to address the challenges, he said.

The administration would look to develop a tactical plan to identify an immediate solution and would therefore, with foreign financial assistance and with a view to especially solve the traffic problem in the Malé area, sign an agreement which will secure the needed professional expertise, the minister said.

The recommendations from the experts will be submitted to the Cabinet and if the law needed changing, submission will be made to Parliament, Ameen confirmed.

According to the Transport Minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already been formally asked to bring in experts, from countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or Singapore, who have made headway in solving traffic congestion to seek their recommendations.

Traffic in Malé has worsened due to a large number of vehicles being registered in the city without much consideration, the minister said.

“I think all of you will agree that we need to make some changes to the number of vehicles, whether four-wheeled or two-wheeled, which are currently being registered in the Malé area,” he said.

According to Ameen, more than 69,000 vehicles have been registered in the country within the past five years, with registrations in the Malé area alone exceeding 42,000.

“At this scale, if this trend continues like this the Malé area is going to just go beyond our control,” the minister said.

Ameen said he did not believe such a large number of vehicles would have been allowed to be registered if the process had been carried out in good faith, adding that although the law has not been changed, the registration of vehicles, under the current administration, has been somewhat slowed down.